


mail order bride

by aleusha



Category: Yugioh, anime - Fandom, ygo - Fandom
Genre: Amnesia, M/M, Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:53:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleusha/pseuds/aleusha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>kaiba has been kidnapped and is nowhere to be found, until he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mail order bride

Mokuba kaiba stares out the wide window of his brothers cold sparse bedroom, wondering what has

happened to his elder. Heaving a heavy sigh, he wonders if Seto left on purpose or if he knew something would happen to him. It seems so much that way since the day he was announced as a missing person cps showed up at the kaiba estate to take Mokuba into custody, the social worker was thwarted when they found that despite what they thought kaiba trusted someone enough to leave Mokuba in their care.

One of the estates maids, her name was Ella and she had assisted in the upbringing of both boys since the day of their arrival. Even in her title as guardian, she remained only as Mokubas maid peeking in on him more often than usual to see to it that he was well. The younger kaiba had taken to spending as much time as possible with Yugi and company, since they helped ease his pain a bit. Today he was supposed to go over and watch movies with them.

Mokuba had been reading every update to his brothers case file, the police search was spreading further and further and further out- now ravaging the very edges of the country of japan a few searching parts

of china. No luck.

His gaze fell to the blonde strolling past the large wrought iron gates with his hands shoved in his pockets, brown eyes glancing up to where he knew the security cameras where. Mokuba felt a slight smile tweak the corners of his mouth, as he hopped off his brothers bed and darted down the stairs skidding to halt just as Ella opened the door to greet Jou. The small raven haired boys momentum sent him careening forward into Jous body causing them both to topple to the ground.

"ahhggg, hey mokie- ja miss meh?"

Jou snorts giving a slightly pained laugh and pats Mokuba on his fluffy head, the boy squirms off of him stranding up with a wide grin. The blond pushes himself up, dusts himself off then grins down at Mokuba before picking him up and setting him on his broad shoulders.

"ready to go?"

Jou says looking at Mokuba who now rests his chin over his crossed arms which sit on top of Jous head. He grins as he bounces on the blonds shoulders while they trot the long way back to Yugi's house, Mokuba always offered a ride but Jou always said they could have more fun this way. They always did, the last time they went to Yugi's the duo played freeze tag the whole way over. This time Jou damn near ran the way with Mokuba giggling and bouncing on his shoulders, it never failed whenever he missed his brother too much Jou would appear. When the boy mentioned this to Jou all the blonde said was

"but I am a big brother"

The two of them arrived into the small apartment above the game shop surprised to find it rather quiet. They rounded the corner of the narrow kitchen and found the remainder of the group huddled together in a circle, obviously not noticing either Jou or Mokuba. Small furtive whispers permeated the air

"no way that's not..."

"but it looks just like him..."

"how would he have ended up in here though?"

Jou snuck over peering over their shoulders and deftly snatching the object of their attention, he blinks at it when realizes what it is. Once pulled from their grasp brown eyes go wide when he sees a nude busty woman sprawled out on the bright colored cover, giving a coy smile to the reader.

"what are you guys doing!?"

Mokuba catches a glimpse of the cover before Jou hides it behind his back and glares at the group.

Honda blinks at Mokuba then back to Jou

"ads on the back page look at em"

Jou glares refusing to look at porn while Mokuba is in the room. Anzu waves her hand lightly at the blond

"seriously look I think we found kaiba!"

Mokuba dives for his surrogate brother quickly wrenching the book of lewd images from his hand. The blond yelps as he is bowled over, by the time he gets back to his feet he finds the boy staring with glistening eyes at the open book

"nii chan?!"

Jounouchi strolls over to find a full page ad for mail order brides, splayed out beneath the phone number and web address is a small selection of thumbnail images. Each image is a one and a half square inch,making the portraits rather difficult to appreciate but blue eyes glow on the glossy page bright as day. Jou gawks in shock to see the brunette with hair that touches his shoulders, upon which is what appears to be light blue kimono.

"that's him alright"

Mokuba tugs on Jous sleeve

"lets call the number!"

The blonde stares at the name beneath the image 'so yung li'. Jou picks up the thin book of glossy images folding it in half to hide its foul interior, he walks across the cozy room back into the kitchen where he plucks a yellow cordless phone off its receiver where its mounted on the wall. The group surrounds them as jou dials the number from yugis house phone. A dull ringing noise continues until a mechanical voice asks for a bride order number and pin. he places the phone heavily down on the receiver, glaring around the room.

" I think we have to order a bride before we can call."

Anzu stares in disappointment along with the others, Mokuba blinks around

"Yugi do you have a computer?"

the small blonde squeaks and nods

"in my room!"

The small mob climbs the narrow stairs with Mokuba and Jou in the lead barging into Yugi's small room, lewd magazine in hand folded open to the bridal ad with neon blue eyes glowing out. Jou plops into the small black swivel chair with the boy hanging on his shoulder watching as the blond quickly types the web address into the long bar atop the screen. As the screen loads the room grows heavy with anticipation and anxiety. In a flash the screen bursts with a red back drop white squares in places where images slowly load, a navigation bar to the side topped with a small search bar. Jou clicks the search bar typing the name in the ad

'so yung li'

He mumbles as his fingers tap across the keyboard before he hits the search key with more force then needed. The results page is just a red back drop accompanied by the navigation bar and a single link in the center of the page.

'bride number 6487, so yung li'

He could hear the group behind him take sharp breath as he guided the small arrow icon over the link, which turns blue as the arrow goes over it. The screen turns white then a light pink with a sakura branch rising from the corner of the screen, at the top of the page was his name in elegant curling text. Beneath the name was a series of statistics, missing the birth date. Between the stats and the name was a single picture of the brunette's profile, again only showing up to the shoulders.

The profile was taken against a dark purple backdrop causing the pale flesh of Seto's face to appear paler and more delicate. The image was spectacular, it showed off how long and curved his lashes were, from here Jous eyes glided down the length of his smooth perfectly straight nose... then to the full plump rose tinted lips. He moves the cursor over the image to find the edges light up, a link, he taps it the screen changes. Again the familiar backdrop with the branch loads first, this time coated with several white thumbnails slowly loading their individual images. Mokuba stares completely bewildered with the strange images of his brother, he points to one that's only half loaded

"that one"

Jou clicks on it, the screen goes white to accommodate the size of the file, it loads in a flash. Seto, staring at the camera wearing a long deep blue and violet kimono, it covers from his ankles to his long slender neck. His legs neatly tucked beneath him, hands on his lap folded neatly, the sleeves of his silken kimono covering all the way up his knuckles. The room he sits in is a very traditional looking Japanese living room, with the simple futon he sits upon, behind him a mellow cream colored wall with a circular window. Jou clicks the arrow to the left of the image seeing again the beautiful profile, along with the stats and this time a price tag.

"half a million dollars? That's USD..."

Anzu mentally tries translate that into yen.

Bakura mumbles just loud enough to be heard.

"sure is pretty though"

Honda just gulps loudly, Yugi blinks trying to banish the curiosity of what other things might be in the image gallery. Mokuba grins wildly digging his hands in his back pocket for the charge card his brother let him carry on occasion. He holds it out to Jou pointing to the 'marry me' link. Jou takes the card numbly with one hand clicking with the other. The payment page with a large image dominating the left side of the screen, similar to the profile but this time with blue eyes half open pink lips lightly parted. Jou feels his heart beginning to race until he lands on the text box asking who is marrying this bride.

"mokuba, if we're bringing him home this way-he has to marry someone. So who is it?" Mokuba looked around

He knows that in his brothers situation, it would be easy for anyone to take advantage of him. Even if he didn't know it. Anzu while mostly mature still has quite a grudge against the brunette and is liable to be unpleasant with him. Honda is very average in his inability to control his hormones. Bakura is home to the psychotic thief spirit therefore not an option. The half American blond however, while having his own problems with the brunette has proven his ability to look past himself and what it is he may want. He is good and loyal and more than anything in control of his boy despite how much its hormones rage. So in the raven haired boys mind, he's reached the safest possible conclusion.

the boy grins before asking

"how old are you Jou?"

"17"

"17 is old enough here. So you can marry him for now okay."

Jou blinks quirking an eyebrow at Mokuba, wondering if he should protest- then looks around the room at the very interested faces. On his own the he comes to the same conclusion as the other and nods with a slight sigh.

a few disappointed grumbles emanate from behind them, Jou begins typing his name

"whose address do I use?"

"duh, ours"

Mokuba says quickly. The information is quickly typed and before he can give himself a second thought clicks 'submit'. A strange word. It sinks into Jous mind, submission. He tries not think of it but find himself imagining 'li' underneath him letting out soft mewls and moans. Furrowing his brow he banishes the thought just as the screen turns red with a small paragraph written in dark blue text. Jou reads it out loud

"please call the number below to be interviewed. We like to ensure the safety of our brides, and do so

by conducting a thorough interview with the suitors. Please call as soon as possible so we may bring you your dream bride."

Mokuba chews his bottom lip, Jou plucks his gray outdated cell phone out of his pocket and dials the number, typing 'so yung li's' bride number into the keypad along with the last four numbers on the credit card. He then hurries of to the bathroom across the hall to have his interview in solitude.

Mokuba then sits in the seat Jou left behind, curiously clicking trough the other brides available, all very attractive but none quite the way Li had been presented.

Also none costing half as much as Li was apparently worth, bored with the remaining brides Mokuba went back to Li's page and began flicking through the image gallery with the small mob staring over his shoulder, oohing and aahhing over the images he presented. Almost an hour later the group sat nervously in Yugi's bedroom listening to Jous muffled voice, waiting for him to be done.

The door clicks open Jou slips into the room with his finger on his lips tapping Mokubas shoulder, hinting for him to move. They all hush before they where able to make a sound following him to the computer. He types a new address into bar atop the screen finding another image of seto this time facing slightly upward, hair caught in a slight breeze. Underneath the image is a camera icon, Jou clicks it quickly chewing his bottom lip as the screen loads. In a moment they see a pale blue room, seto sitting with his legs tucked beneath him hands folded neatly on his lap. The brunette looks at the camera, gives a slight bow of his head before reaching over to a corded phone set down beside him.

"hi"

"hello there, you are to be my husband?"

"um yea, I passed the interview so they said I get to interview you now"

"ah yes, I am very happy you chose me."

The brunette gives a small smile at the camera, that goes only one way.

"your r- really pretty, not much competition I guess- heh heh"

Jou laughs nervously every one tries to lean closer to hear the other side of the conversation as they watch the brunette place a sleeve over his mouth trying not to laugh.

"oh is that so? How kind of you to say such a thing."

"oh uh I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to ask right now"

the person on the screen lowers their hand, looking at the wood paneling of the floor.

" I'm not really sure either, no one has ever passed the interview to get to me."

"oh ? Why not?"

"it would appear that most people with the money to afford me are not men of quality. So I've been told."

"ah, I see"

" Is there anything you would like to know about me?"

Jou glances over to Mokuba

"are you good with kids?"

They watch as Li's eyes go wide, then fall to a more curious expression.

" I'm unsure, I haven't seen any children recently. Do you have any?"

"yea sorta, I have a little brother see."

He ruffles Mokubas hair

"oh? I'm sure I can help care for your brother very well."

"oh that's good..."

"is there something else?"

"I was just curious."

"yes?"

" they said that I could bring you home on Sunday-"

The brunette's face lights up, face flushing red. Jou grins at the image

" they did?"

"is that unusual?"

"yes, normally they have at least three more interviews before they permit us to meet our husbands, your interview must have been impressive."

"I felt kinda goofy"

They hear seto give a light chuckle

"what is it you meant to ask?"

"ah yea I wanted to know if you wanted anything- like cause I don't know what you er like n stuff. Ya know to be comfortable and yea"

the brunette's face is riddled with confusion just before flushing bright red.

"oh my, I can see why you passed your interview."

"huh?"

" I only wish to meet you."

Jou cant find himself able to hide the wide grin that flies up his face at these words, nor the nervous laugh that falls out of his mouth.

"ah well then I guess I'll see you Sunday huh?"

" indeed you will, my husband."

Seto places the phone gently back on the receiver giving another small smile to the camera before it shuts off.

The group at large stares at Jou, Mokuba quirking an eyebrow at him

"Jou..."  
"what...?!"

he jumps in his seat and stares at the boy

"do you...like my brother?"

Jou stares back at mokuba not answering, instead Bakura says in the background

"so very pretty, I wonder how he'll be in bed."

They all turn and stare at him as he muses out loud.

The week crawls by, even though the order was placed on a Wednesday. Jou fights with himself trying to think of kaiba as kaiba not as 'so yung li', the images of the stoic C.E.O. In his mind are harsh and cold. He thinks back to the way he knew kaiba and wonders how a change of attitude can make him so attractive.

When left to think about it, that really was the only problem... he lay in bed musing. In his mind he figured that someone surrounded by so much good had to have some bad, so his bad was his wretched attitude. He looked through a mental gallery of the brunette and found that while he was physically attractive the images made him want to throttle someone and break things that didn't deserve it.

Sunday rolled around eventually and Jou found himself sitting in the living room with Mokuba waiting patiently for someone announce the arrival of seto. Mokuba looked on the verge of tears, until he saw Jou who just looked deeply conflicted, so lost in his thoughts that he jumped out of his seat when Ella came to announce the arrival of a guest. As requested of her she goes to answer the door, escorting a tall brunette with shoulder length hair and a shorter woman with black hair. The woman wears her sleek black hair in a tight bun, pink plastic glasses sit on her nose, a white button up shirt clings to her breasts which are held back by her tight black blazer.

"Jounouchi katsuya?"

The woman queries, jou nods absently whilst staring at seto who's gaze floats around the room. This time wearing a lovely red kimono in several layers, again all hiding every bit of creamy white flesh from sight.

"MR. JOUNOUCHI"

Jou blinks back to look at the woman who attempts to look angry, a small smirk tugging at her lips. She quirks an eyebrow at him when she finally gets his attention. He flushes bright and warm

"er sorry"

"Li is very beautiful no?"

Jou nods, the woman announces

"alright you did so well on your other interviews but alas we need to conduct one more"

Jou looks up, Mokuba peeking out from behind him.

"you do?"

"yes Li informed us that you have a younger brother. we would like to have short interview with him as well."

Jou looks down to Mokuba who currently clings to his hip, the blonde quirk's an eyebrow

"okay then lets go! You can show Li around the grounds and stuff."

Jou looks over to Li who has only just looked in his direction

"its a lovely home you have."

Jou grins, then looks to the raven haired woman

"so how long will this interview be?"

"about an hour"

he then looks back to Li

"ah, erm d'you wanna see the garden or you want me to show you around the house."

blue eyes glitter slightly

"you have a garden? I would love to see that."

Jou sticks his hands in his pockets nervously

"this way then."

The tall brunette follows him through the hall way to the left through the kitchen and out the back door. The yard is a wide green field lined with tall fruit trees, behind the trees is gray wall hiding them from the world. Li stares in awe at the amount of greenery, quickly spotting the large garden a few yards from them. Jou however stares at li, wondering what caused this change and who to thank for it.

"Li."

The brunette pauses looking at Jou with a meek smile

"yes dear?"

"um, I just- you look really..."

The brunette turns slightly pinks and looks down, the sun catching in chocolate locks causing them to show off reddish highlights.

"really beautiful."

Grinning Jou makes a discovery that at this point he'd say pretty much anything to watch 'Li' turn red like that. They continue toward the garden in a pleasurable silence, one occasionally glancing to the other until they get the vegetable garden.

"ah! You can actually harvest your plants!"

"yea its actually the cooks garden but I like to come out here cause it smells kinda nice."

The hour passes quickly enough, Mokuba leads the way for the interviewer past the garden to a side path that leads to the courtyard with its massive fountain where they spot both the blonde and brunette. The woman pauses, placing her hand on Mokubas shoulder, halting him as well, she plucks a small pen and pad from her breast pocket watching the two interact.

They sit together beside the fountain on the small ledge separating the small flower garden from the rest of the courtyard. She watches as Li brings a sleeve covered hand over his mouth trying not laugh, only to have jou grinning widely. The laughter dies down and li shifts in place, jou looks around furtively before saying something that only just barely carries across the courtyard.

"li"

"yes?"

"um is it okay if..."

"if what?"

"if I kiss you?"

Li turns to look at Jou who hasn't looked away, he give a slight nod. Jou leans forward pressing his mouth softly against the others soft warm full lips, meek hands reach up to hold his forearms. They separate for only a moment before they press themselves together again. With his face just slightly flushed, a light rosy tint on his cheeks 'Li' says in a low whisper.

"I'm happy you picked me."

In the distance the woman smiles as she taps the pen on the pad then tucks it into her pocket before walking into their line of sight.

"I'm happy to see you two working out so well. I don't mean to interrupt but we do need to get your marriage certificate signed."

The two turn to look at the woman quickly separating, their faces flushing a bright red. Mokuba peeks out from behind the woman, one of his eyebrows arcing upward at the image they made together.

In this instant he wishes he could show this scene to his brother a few months ago, just to watch the muscle beneath his eye twitch violently.

The pair stands up and follows the woman and Mokuba back to the living room, staying nervously quiet the whole way. They four retake their earlier places on the couch, the woman pulling a small manilla folder out of the large purse she had left by the couch earlier.

From it she pulls an elegant blue edged eggshell white paper, written in curly black text along the center of the page are the words ' on this day we_and _are united in holy matrimony. Beneath the first line is the word 'groom' and beneath the other is the word 'bride', the woman plucks a a heavy black pen with a gold tip out from the hidden breast pocket inside her blazer.

She holds the pen out to so yung li who takes the pen carefully in his pale delicate left hand, he writes in long spiraling letters- something that Mokuba grins at. He carefully passes the pen to Jou who finds himself surprised at the weight of the pen, he sets the gold ball point to the page scratching his name down in short jagged motions. The woman stares for a moment at the vast difference in their handwriting wondering if their marriage will last very long with such an odd couple. She looks for just a moment at Li who peeks from underneath long curved black lashes over to the blonde who heaves a heavy sigh as he hands the weighted pen back to its owner.

She accepts the pen with a light smile, placing back in her breast pocket before informing the newly formed couple.

"I'm sure this wont be an issue but just remember you have to consummate your union by midnight tonight or it's void. Also here you are, a small gift to commemorate what I'm sure will be a very happy marriage."

Mokubas eyes go wide at the word 'consummate'. He looks over to Jou who's eyes are wide as saucers his hands tossed on his lap frozen in place, Li who merely blushes at the boldness of the statement. The woman plucks a small red square box tied with a gold ribbon from her purse, she sets it down on the table with a light 'thuk'.

The object sits on the table in a suddenly awkward silence that now fills the room. She smiles as she plucks a second copy of the certificate off the first and placing it in the manilla folder which she tucks back into her purse with a sly grin.

Jou stands as the woman does to escort her to the door, Mokuba and Li follow along on their heels. The woman turns at the door to look at li, she pulls him into a light embrace with slightly teary eyes.

"oh my dear I'm going to miss you so much, you are such a pleasure."

Li gives a meek hug in return

"thank you so much for all you've done for me- I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

The trio watches the woman trot down to her small blue sedan, she gives one last wave just before she pulls out and drives away. Mokuba grins at the semi sort of couple before announcing

"okay since this is all done we have to get to Yugi's now!"

Jou blinks at Mokuba, Li places the hem of his sleeves together effectively hiding his hands.

"what for nyeh?"

"who is this yugi person?"

The boy smiles crossing his arms over his chest.

"hes our friend and were going because we promised we would go over after all this stuff was done didn't we?"

Jou furrows his brow as recalls the skirmish that took place in yugis room, the way the small mob had bombarded him to bring 'so yung li' to meet them immediately after arrival. The subtle threats Anzu let out if jou failed to do so, recalling these words particularly left a series of chills racing up spine as if he'd walked over a grave.

"yea... didn't really get a choice though."

Mokuba snickers and shouts for one of the maids to call a driver, jou looks to Li who stares at him with a fairly confused expression.

"are they unpleasant?"

twenty minutes later the long sleek black limo pulls up to the kame game shop where a small crowd stares out the window, Bakura at the forefront before he ducks down and bolts to the front door. Mokuba runs in just as Bakura rips the door open causing the boy to slam into his legs sending them both toppling backwards. Marik grins from the window unsurprised to find Otogi at the door before anzu and honda,the tall boy grinning as jou steps out.

The blond pauses and holds out his hand for 'Li' to take hold of, he does. The mob beside the door croons at the vision that pulls himself up beside Jou, tall pale with voluminous glossy dark chestnut hair- ominously bright blue eyes.

He steps out walking with a gracefulness that anzu had dreamed of possessing since she saw her first ballet, only to discover that she didn't seem to be capable of such graceful movements. She had settled since then to move her body to hip hop songs or something with a loud bounding rhythm. She could do that, jagged motions that could be pieced together with enough effort.

As the new wife tucks his hands in his loose sleeves pressing the hems together, the small crowd parts like the red sea, doing anything to make things just a bit simpler for blue eyed brunette's sake. Jou strolls in pausing at the door to glare at the group trying to peer over his shoulder and get a good look at this new seto, catching his glare Otogi Marik Honda and Anzu scurry off to the living room. Bakura following along his hand rubbing his now sore hip where mokuba had plowed into him. The blond looks over to his wife sensing some extreme confusion and discomfort.

" are you alright?"

He jerks his head up to look at Jou pressing his hidden hands against his chest, trying to stop wringing them.

"ah?! Yes I am well, it's just... I find myself quite nervous."

Jou steps toward the tall brunette wanting to calm his nerves

"why are you nervous?"

"these are your friends... I wonder if they will approve of me as your wife. Or if they will tell you I am of poor quality."

Jou lets a grin slide up his face as he crosses his arms over his puffed up chest.

"are you kidding me? They nearly killed em' selves to get a look at cha. I think you'll be fine so calm down kay- got nuttin to worry about."

So yung li's mouth curves into a smile as he gives a small nod in agreement before following jou through the storefront up the narrow stairs and into Yugi's living room. The couple is shocked to see the room filled with presents and white streamers held to the wall with white tissue paper flowers. The group jumps up in place and shouts (minus marik)

"congratulations!"

Anzu pulls the cord on a small blue confetti popper,speckling the air with brightly colored star shaped paper bits. Honda and otogi wolf whistle at the bride that now has his connected sleeves raised up over his mouth.

"oh my..."

Jou laughs nervously not really knowing what to do with the situation. Mokuba sits on the gift laden table his gaze falling over each occupant of the room, wondering they realize what the plan actually was.

He meant to get his brother back- he just wanted his brother back any way he could have him. Hopefully with enough time in his own home he would begin to remember things. Perhaps what is known to bride currently could be helpful to find out exactly what happened to kaiba in the first place. Li smiles at the cluster of people now waiting to be introduced to him, pulling one hand from his sleeve and reaching to shake yugis smaller hand.

One hand safely hidden in his right sleeve which he keeps near his chest, the other only revealing his long delicate looking fingers. His grip is gentle on the others hands just barely setting his finger tips into their palms in greeting, otogi however lifts Li's hand up to his mouth pressing his lips against the small amount of exposed flesh.

Jou catching this from the corner of his reaches over with one hand and flicks the raven haired mans ear with his middle finger, the contact making a light 'thuk' sound.

"ah!?"

He slaps his hand over his ear and glares at Jou with a sly grin

"didn't think you where looking."

Jou's brown eyes go wide in shock at the blatant statement

" That ain't no good reason to do anything to ANYONES wife you jackass!"

The argument erupts from all corners of the room- causing the whole room to raise its volume and ending with honda slapping otogi clean upside the head sending his stumbling forward.

Mokuba laughs as he motions for Li to stand next to him while the others get out their nervous energy in small brawls and arguments. Marik smiles at Li while he saunters lazily over, firmly ignoring Mokubas intense glare

"so whats your name?- I didn't get to meet you like the others did. Afraid I don't like standing in line."

He then leans casually against the wall only a few feet from the obviously uncomfortable bride. Li keeps his hands tucked in his sleeves rather than reach out and politely shake hands with the dark skinned devious looking fellow before her.

" ah, my name is So Yung Li."

The narrow grin on mariks face grows just slightly longer almost touching his ears, looking as dangerous as if the thing had been slashed onto his face.

"how pretty, it suits you so well."

Jou marches over grips Mariks forearm and flings him off to Bakuras side- the force of which tips the white haired boy right over the arm of the couch. Honda and otogi break into hysterical laughter before Anzu claps her hands loudly together, more announcing that asking.

"who's ready to eat!"

They group takes up various seats around the room, a small table with a white cloth tossed over it and two wooden folding chairs set up special just for Jou and Li.

Anzu and yugi stand on either side of a long table set off to the side of the room, the contents that lay on its surface hidden by a long red table cloth set over it. The two lift the ends of the cloth, whipping it off the table with a loud snapping sound to reveal the small banquet laid out for the unexpected reception.

Anzu serves Jou and Li their plates and yugi places down two tall wine flutes filled with sparkling white wine. The meal goes on in relative calm as faint chatter permeates the cozy atmosphere, this time yugi and Honda pick up plates and carry them down stairs placing them in the sink and chattering as they continue back upstairs. They hurry back up in time to find Anzu pulling three small bright red hair clips our of her small white and pink hello kitty purse, she raises them up into the air announcing with much excitement.

"its time for the GAMES!"

Jou cringes slightly wondering exactly what it is Anzu might consider a game in this situation, even more so when he see how red yugis face turned at the sight of the seemingly innocent hair clips. She then plucks a long wide hair ribbon from her purse and steps toward a rather frightened looking Li

"okay honda get that table out of the way, its time to play 'roman hands and russian fingers!'"

honda grins all the while as jou and Li stand so that he can remove the collapsible furniture from the room. The girl grins smiles widely at the tall brunette before saying

"hold out your hands okay Li"

He looks over to jou unsure if he should do as asked, the blonde shrugs as if it doesn't really matter so Li untucks his hands from his long wide sleeves and cups his milk colored hands together. Anzus smile finally hides her too white teeth as she places the three cold metal bright red hair clips into Li's hands, moving to stand behind him.

" hold these while I get your blind fold on okay"

Li's eyes go wide when she says this, then blurts

"what?! Blindfold- whatever for?"

The ribbon slides over his face while she loops the ends over Li's soft brown hair, she waits to answer until the ribbon is tied in a neat bow and she has taken the clips from his hands

"now you know what the hair clips feel like, I'm going to stick them on Jou some where and you have to find them without looking! The rest of us will give you hints if your close to one we'll shout 'hot' if your far we'll shout 'cold'. Get it?"

In the background bakura and otogi say at the same time

" I like where this is going."

Mokuba huffs crossing his arms over his chest, in his mind he wonders what causes things like this to fill Anzu's empty head. His jaw tightens and his lips purse into a tight thin line as he watches the girl place the first clip on jous zipper.

"and YOU cant move not one inch."

She instructs jou as she places the next clips into the hair over the back of his neck, he wonders if she put there knowing it happens to one his erogenous zones. She smirks watching his skin prickle at the contact before crouching down and clipping the last one to the laces of his left shoe.

"Anzu."

"yessss?"

"I hate you."

She laughs at jous venom-less words, then places her hands on Li's shoulders guiding him to stand right in front of his new husband. She steps away grinning widely

"okay GO!"

Tentatively the brunette reaches out placing one hand flat on jous chest, he can hear a sharp intake of breath before honda bellows

"pretty cold there!"

The light touch travels upward to his shoulders, followed by his second hand caressing his bicep to feel for the clips that might be on his sleeves. This time bakura decides to be helpful

"icy cold there!"

Jou watches Li's lower lip disappear from view as he worries it while his hands slide back upward. Yugi squeaks

"warmer"

The timid touch slides up the side of his neck over his cheeks through his messy nags and both hand tangle into his hair gently combing it backward. Marik smirks as otogi says in loud voice

"pipin hot"

The hands slide down the back of his head until a finger nail catches against the cold metal. Jou suppresses a soft moan while nimble fingers work the clip free, unsure of where to put the thing Li slide the metal clip into the wide obi wrapped around his waist. Anzu smiles

"ooh your good, now lets see if you can find the next one!"

Again his palms are flat against jous chest roving over and down his flat belly, moving to his hips when marik chirps

"lukewarm"

His palms glide over jous belt loops around following the seam gently letting the pads of his finger tips go over the lip of jous back pockets, again marik is helpful

"cold now"

Li follows the seam line back to the front of jou, finger tips skating over the top of jous front pockets, neither is paying attention to who says what now.

"warmer"

Excruciatingly slowly those same fingers follow the seam to the small metal button holding jous jeans shut. The blond shuts his eyes and tries top think of as many foul unpleasant images as he can, in order to avoid arousal.

"much warmer"

Li follows the seam line downward, but his fingers don't catch on anything so they continue down to where the seam stops

"getting cold"

The touch flows back upward to the middle of the seam.

"hot"

The fingers tentatively slip under the narrow panel of denim, to glide over the zipper, moving upward until he feels too smooth metal.

In the back Mokuba grimaces as he watches Jous gears turning, knowing that hes trying desperately not to feel it. In his own vast mind the boy wonders if he should find a way to punish Anzu for bringing in such a ridiculous game, what kind of pervert would think of this anyway?

In the center of the room Jou swallows nothing loud enough to be heard while Li pinches the grip of his zipper in order to remove the hair clip, neatly tucking it away underneath his obi. Having already allowed his gentle touch to skate over the entirety of Jous torso, Li come to the conclusion that the last clip must be lower. Still with tentative hands the brunette places one hand flat against the inner part of Jous thigh, the other hand mirroring it on the other side, the touch flows gracefully downward following seam lines all the way down to the right hem. Jou can hear the brunette emit a slight

"hmm"

A thoughtful noise, he smirks when he see Li simply press his hand against his shoelaces. Not on this side... rather than go through the torture of touching his new husband with immense restraint he simply moves his palm over to Jous left shoe quickly finding the cold metal clip. Li Jou reaches over to take his hand and help Li into a standing position, the brunette slips his finger beneath his wide obi pulling out the other two hair clips and holds the trio up in one hand while pushing the blindfold up with the other.

"smart cookie ya got there."

Its Anzu who says it as she struts forward taking both the ribbon and hair clips from Li who now blushes furiously. Yugi steps forward with a meek smile and a small thin CD case in his hand

"well its my turn now- I thought musical chairs would be fun."

Honda and otogi take their place on either side of the couch and push it backward til it sits with its back flush against the far wall. Marik and bakura dart down the hallway returning with armloads of collapsible chairs and big wide grins.

The game goes on to a song plucked off the radio Anzu being the one in charge of pausing the music, this game goes on for all of twenty minutes, honda being the first to lose a chair having been hip checked out of the way by otogi. Next was bakura who simply wasn't as fast as mokuba next was Li who had gotten distracted and wound up trying to to giggle as he watched from beside honda. Then yugi was shunted off his spot by a very determined mokuba who giggled as his feet swayed in the air underneath the chair.

Otogi knocks marik off his spot, letting him stand smirking beside the others. Two chairs left, the music stops Jou plops down before otogi can get in, mokuba taking other chair. The raven haired boy laughs with his hands on his belly as he tries not to keel over. One chair left! They circle the single space like vultures the music stop jou plops over but mokuba grabs the chair out from under him before he can sit in it, his rump just hits the floor. The blond laughs from the floor as he watches mokuba leisurely take his place on the chair of victory.

"you little brat!"

Jou darts upward snatching the boy off the folding chair, he lays the boy on the floor lifts his shirt and blows a loud raspberry right in his belly. Mokuba erupts in a hysterical fit of laughter as jou blows one raspberry after the other onto his stomach, he tries in vein to get him to stop. Swatting at jou s head with his small arms and little balled up fists, yugi snorts at the scene adding

"that was a dirty trick mokie this is your penalty game!"

The only response is choppy word from between fits of laughter

"no -cant-gotta pee!"

They all erupt in a fit when Jou quits and the boy scuttles away as quick as he can to yugis small bathroom. various other games go on, mokuba and otogi having chosen of all things freeze tag. They play until the group find's themselves quite exhausted, deciding now is a good time to open presents. Jou and Li sit on the couch, the brunette smiling contentedly as Jou slings an arm over his shoulder. Honda grins as he plucks his own gift off the table leaning over in his spot and hands it of to jou who tips it toward Li. Using his left hand to pull back his right sleeve a bit he uses the revealed hand hand to reach out and grip the tail of a red bow on a white box, tugging slightly to unravel the bow. Jou then plucks the lid up revealing a heavy silver frame laying flat against a bed of blue tissue paper tufts.

" A digital picture frame?"

Honda smiles lopsidedly, rather proud of his gift choice.

" I know you like to keep your pictures by the bed and I figure you guys will make a lot of memories together. This way you don't have to pick just one to keep by you, it holds like a whole gig of pictures."

Jou smiles at it wondering how long his time with this person beside him will last, rather than voice his worry he grins.

"so cool!"

Li smiles warmly to honda

" Thank you, that's so thoughtful."

Anzu smile as she plucks a large heavy pink bag with corners of floral printed tissue paper jutting out the top off the table, she happily sets it down in front of the couple. Yugi stands between honda and otogi taking a series of continuous snapshots hoping to put their wedding album together. Jou sticks his hand down into the bag, his fingers hit the jar near the top rather quickly, he grunts before plucking a clear jar of teal crystals out. Around the lip of the jar in a glossy orange ribbon, Li blinks at it

"bath salts?"

Anzus chests puffs up with pride at the quality of her gift.

"yea, my mom says being married is super stressful, which is why shes single now. So I wanted to make sure you guys have a way to relax, I picked all kinds of em-"

Sure enough jou plucks out three more pickle jar sized containers of salts as the girl continues talking, fitting perfectly at the bottom of the bag is a rectangular white box. Jou plucks it up curiously.

" I picked out one that's for sore muscles and aches, cause I know Jou does a lot of manual labor.

There's some for exfoliating your skin, one for getting rid of headaches and mental stress and- Those are my favorite scented candles! They don't do anything they just smell really nice."

The brunette turns the jars of salt smiling at the various colors, finding the labels on the very bottom of each jar in curly green letters.

"oh my, this must have costed so much... these particular salts have to be shipped in from guangxiou."

Anzu smiles at Li's awareness of the product.

"you've used them before?"

"um yes, its required upon our purchase"

Not quite understanding what Li blurted she simply continues

" I been shopping with these guys since I was like twelve so I get a super awesome discount- but this is the biggest order I ever made! I think I might have gave the receptionist a heart attack when I placed the order!"

Anzu laughs as Li tucks them back in the pink bag.

"thank you very much."

The gifts continue in this manner opened, then explained and thanked for, until Jou notices mokuba edging back into the room with a slight grimace. He decides not ask about it until they have a moment alone, some one hands him the last gift. The small box from the woman that escorted Li to the kaiba estate. Jou blinks at it curiously as his wife plucks the bow off, removing the lid jou finds a small black velvet pouch with red drawstrings. Rather than allow them embarrass them selves otogi says quickly

"you guys should probably open that when you guys are alone... I mean I'm just sayin."

Jous face flushes red when realizes what might be in the bag. Li just arcs a single slender eyebrow at the two. Mokuba then pipes up

"you guys its kinda late, past my bedtime you know."

Forty minutes later the same sleek black limo that dropped them off pulls into the driveway of the kaiba estate and rolls to a stop in front of the door. They three step out of the limo and go inside, mokuba informing the maids to bring their gifts up to Jous new bedroom (setos room). After a moment jou escorts Li to their bedroom, the brunette looks around the wide spacious room in awe.

"oh my..."

Jou glances around as well, noting only how little is actually in here, apparently Li noticed as well. He looks to Jou curiously

" you have much, but this room is barren.. why is that?"

Jou being quite accustomed to thinking on his (if nowhere else)feet quickly replies.

"so that we can fill it together, this room is ours, not just mine."

Li gives a wide smile,face flushing red as he decides to look away. Satisfied with his new wife's reaction to his words, he places a kiss on the brunette's cheek before saying.

"I'll be just a moment, I'm gonna go tuck Mokie in okay. you can get comfortable too,I'll be right back."

Jou watches as Li slowly walks toward the bed looking around the sparse room. He lets the door slide shut behind him, he finds Mokuba standing at the end of the hall with his arms crossed over his small chest. The boy motions for Jou to follow, he does. All the way down the far hall to the boys neglected bedroom where Mokuba takes a seat at a small writing desk opposite his bed. Jou seats himself at the edge of the queen sized bed before looking over the boys tense form and asking

"whats wrong Moke?"

Mokuba stares at the floor, takes a deep breath before looking to Jou and speaking slowly.

"I told the police that we found nii-chan and … how. So to figure out how he got there they went to the house that had been keeping him before he came to us. The people there they said that they found him. Just found him. He was hanging they said. But not from his neck though, his wrists were tied up and bloody. They said he was covered in open wounds and some old scars. So they took him to a hospital hoping someone might recognize him..."

Mokubas slate gray eyes flooded making them look as if they where swarming with storm clouds.

"but no one did, he was beaten so bad, so horribly. And they couldn't afford to keep him in the hospital so they took him home and when he woke up he didn't have a clue what was going on why he was there, who he was anything. He just-"

"stop"

Mokubas head jerks up, he sees Jou staring angrily at the ground his fists balled tightly shut.

"we will figure this out Mokie but not this moment. In this moment your brother is home and safe. Get it?"

Mokuba looks to Jou and pushes his tears back knowing that Jou is here and Jounouchi is strong, he can and will keep his brother safe. The blonds stands up and closes the short distance between himself and the boy. He hugs him tightly before dropping a kiss on his forehead and saying.

"go to sleep, you have class in the morning."

A moment later Jou is flicking off the light to the room watching Mokuba roll in his thick blankets attempting to sleep. He slips the door silently shut and walks back down the long hall accompanied only by the sound of his own foot steps, without any thought to what might be waiting for him he opens his new bedroom door.

The room is dim and somehow warm... allowing his eyes a moment to adjust, he looks around and sees a silhouette on the large bed. Even in shadows the small amount of light reflects off of those eyes, looking as if they glow of their own accord. Jou feels like deer in headlights looking at those eyes in the dark, he finds that his breath is caught in his throat when he tries to speak. Instead he moves slowly forward seeing that Li is settled onto the center of the bed, small white candles lit and placed meticulously along the dresser and the bedside table. Beside one of the white candles is the black velvet bag that otogi had suggested they open alone. Alone? They're alone now...

The blonde moves slowly forward, his eyes set on the still clothed figure sitting in the center of the large luxurious bed. For some reason even completely clothed Jous find the image of this man sitting so submissively thoroughly arousing. Hands set neatly on his lap, legs tucked beneath him, blue eyes following Jous every move.

Jou stops for a moment just to look over creature waiting for him, he places one knee on the bed and sets himself down beside Li. Nervously the brunette blinks and turns to look away, only to have his chin caught in Jous thumb and forefinger. Eye to eye for only a moment before blue eyes slide shut as

Jou leans over and presses his lips flush against the others.

It crosses his mind as his hand slides down the front of the soft smooth kimono, that the flesh beneath should be damaged. Given this thought he still wants to see it to feel it, to wipe this body clean of any painful memories that might lie in wait. Jou slips his tongue past parted lips tasting his new wife.

Water, he tastes like fresh clean water, he feels the other moan more than hears it. One hands cups the other cheek as they kiss,moving to run through silky soft locks of chocolate brown hair while the other unties the obi around Li's slender waistline.

Jou grins as he pulls away taking the strip of cloth with him, he can almost hear his wife blushing, he lets the belt slide off the side of the bed and pool on the floor. Not pausing he returns to planting kisses on Li's flesh, since so little is exposed he kisses along the others jawline and down his long slender neck. The rooms silence is punctuated with soft mewls and low moans, the sounds only serving to arouse Jou more and more. He gently pushes the silken garment down milky white shoulders, letting his fingers caress every bit of slowly revealed flesh. He can feel his chest tighten, hes nervous but so very willing to keep moving.

In the dim fire tinted light he sees that Li's flesh is unmarred, as if nothing in the world had ever touched it, smooth clean and soft as rose petals. It should occur to him that there ought to be copious amounts of scars strewn across this body, but it doesn't. Hes to busy letting his hands rove over soft snowy flesh and reveling in the sounds. The sound of hitched breath and appreciative moans follow every one of his touches, Jou wraps his strong arms around Li's slim torso guiding him to lay back on the bed. Long slender fingers slide up his arm stopping at the hem of his shirt, as he feels shivers of pleasure flow up his veins, slow like syrup he is entranced by those eyes. Those glowing blue eyes, coupled with a lusted coated voice and tender words

" mine husband, please may I see you as well?"

Not a chance he could say no, not even if he'd wanted to, looking back he's pretty sure that voice has more power than any brainwashing possibly could. The blond places one of his knees on either side of his wife's slender hips, stands on his knees over the brunette and pulls his shirt over his head. As he flings it to the side he feels a light touch over his abdomen, tracing the faint lines of well hidden muscle. Jou reaches down to kiss his new lover amazed at how the ghostly touch feels against his heated flesh. Soft slims arms reach up around him skating over the taught sandy colored skin of his back, stopping to gently grip his shoulders. Jou cant help the words that fall from him as she shifts allowing his lips to feel the rose soft figure, gasping beneath him.

" your so beautiful..."

"oh -"

The words halt when Jou tongue flicks out and runs small tight circles over the hardened pink nub of Li's left nipple, his lips wrap around it and suck gently before he continues

"you taste good too..."

" oh , oh my"

Some distant voice in the blondes head registers that his wife might actually want to say something. He climbs back the long lithe body laying kisses all the way up to his earlobe before whispering

"yes? What is it?"

Li worries his lower lip for just a moment before sliding his hand down to the front of Jous denim jeans and admitting in the most sinfully sweet voice.

" I would like to see all of you"

Before responding he presses his lips against his wife's and slips back til he steps off the foot of the bed. He can feel the intensity of his lovers gaze roving his body as he unbuttons his pants slower than he needs to. Returning the gaze he finds the brunette's form completely bare the remains of his clothing in a glossy pool of fabric beneath him. His milky thighs pressed gently together and leaning to the side exposing the perfect round globes of his backside.

Jou climbs back onto the bed, reaching over and wraps his hand around Li's narrow ankle pulling his leg down separating it from its partner. He never noticed how slim setos ankles where, suppose it was the boots he always wore...was he self conscious about it? A quickly forgotten thought, he kisses the top of Li's foot and up his calf, knee and slowly up his thigh.

The sound of pleasure falls in soft moans from wet parted lips, Jou's hands follow him up his lovers thigh, one hand gently pushing the other folded leg down against the bed. With the very tip of his tongue he traces the v shaped line of the brunette's groin, deliberately avoiding his throbbing dripping length. It twitches as one of his hands massages Li's left thigh while he dips his tongue into the small dip of his naval.

"your so very clean, you taste like fresh water, you know that."

the response is in the form of a light moan.

"oh?"

"yes, like water, I think I need you to live..."

" OH!"

Jou lets the flat of his tongue slide up the underside of Li's weeping erection, looking up he watches as the brunette throws his head back against the pillows, fighting to be still for his lover. His pink tongue rubs circles over the dripping head leaving saliva dripping down the shaft. Jou wraps one hand around the twitching length of flesh, rubbing his thumb over the tip, the way he does when he touches himself. His hands slides down and up just a few times before the brunette warns

"oh no, its t-too much I'm I'm going to-"

Jou smiles to himself before he leans down allowing the tip to pass his lips and begin to suck for only just a moment before his lover splurts his warm fluids into jous mouth.

"oh oh oh!"

The blond smiles swallowing the salty cream, before leaning back on his heels and enjoying the sight of the brunette riding out his orgasm. How beautiful, pale chest heaving, pink lips parted for thick ragged breath's, hands fisted in the sheets and his hair arced over to pillow like a painted nimbus.

"your so beautiful, did you know?"

Blue eyes flutter open to affix jou with their lust coated stare

" mine husband, do I please you?"

Jous hands slide from his lovers inner thighs up over his hips and torso as he speaks in his husky voice

"yes, oh god yes"

A smile crosses the brunette's face before he places his own hands on Jou's broad shoulders

"please, please my love- make me yours, only yours"

Jou shifts his lovers position so that now his own hips are wedged between Li's heated thighs,he rolls his hips grinding his erection in the cleft of the brunette's ass. Li gives a pleading moan and raises his knees while he spreads his thighs apart, groaning at the sensation of Jou's member being so close to his entrance.

Jou leans over his wife reaching across the bed over to the bedside table to snatch the small black velvet bag off the smooth surface. With deft fingers he unties the the small bag revealing three small tube of lubricant, he plucks the center one and sets the small bag back down on the counter. He cant help the way he desperately needs to kiss and touch the mewling form under him, he groans at the sensation of soft warm thighs caressing his hips, gentle hands kneading his shoulders silently urging him forward. Without breaking their kiss he flicks the lid of small clear bottle, he tips the bottle into his hand feeling the warming liquid spread over his fingers.

He claps the bottle shut again tossing somewhere onto the vastness of the bed and all its disheveled blankets. Finally breaking their kiss, the two fill their lungs with desperately needed oxygen. Jous tongue works one of Li's pert pink nipples while his fingers draw circles over the tight ring of muscle before carefully and slowly slipping a single digit in. He watches as blue eyes flutter closed, lips parting in a silent moan, he moves his digit in small circles as he drops feather light kisses all over his lovers belly and chest. He loves the feeling, tight heat enveloping his finger, so damn tight he feels his own member weeping and twitching with anticipation, he slowly introduces a second digit. The moan this time is audible, but only just.

A sharp gasp is elicited when he give a scissoring motion inside of the tight hot velvety tunnel, he grins as he watches Li's back arch up off the bed. a few moments later he introduces a third digit resulting in the brunette's hands sliding up and down Jou's shoulders gently squeezing here and there. Jou pulls away just long enough to scan the bed and locate the small clear tube poking out from a fold on the blankets, he uncaps the small vial pouring a liberal amount into his palm. As he coats his twitching member slowly drawing his hand up and down his heated flesh, he can feel his lover watching intensely.

"ready babe?"

No words he just nods with his lusty hooded gaze and raises his knees up and just a bit further apart. Gingerly Jou places his hands on his lovers slim white hips lining himself up with his puckered entrance and pushing in. Li's eyes fall shut as he exhales slowly while Jou pushes into him until he's completely sheathed inside his wife. Pausing to give Li's moment to adjust he simply smiles at the vision splayed out beneath him, blue eyes open partway, the color shadowed by those long dark lashes.

"am I hurting you?"

Pink lips curve into a coy smile, he rolls his head to the side eying Jou seductively from his place on the pillows. Li's hands slide up where he decide to grip at the sheets over his head and whisper in his brandy wine voice

"mine husband, you bring me only pleasure..."

Jou bites his lip to keep himself from climaxing right then, long slim arms slide over his shoulder and pull him down to kiss. Those fingers knead the muscles of his back while his tongue explore the damp cavern of the other mouth, he revels in the feeling of their tongues rubbing up against each other and begins to roll his hips. He feels it again the sensation of his wife moaning while they kiss, he lets his body press flush against the others, moaning as his nipples rub over Li's own pert pink buds.

Their bodies ungulate against each other the friction against the brunette's erection causing him to roll his own hips, his body needing to feel more. Jou shifts so hes places his knees beneath Li's tight ass, grips those lovely hips and thrusts forward in a slow steady rhythm taking care to strike each time at that little bundle of nerves. Each successful strike punctuated by a sharp gasp, his hands again over his head gripping the sheets tightly.

Fearing he wont last much longer Jou reaches forward and begins stroking his lovers neglected erection, resulting in the sound of Li panting loudly. The brunette closes his eyes tightly and groans as hips shoot upward while he splurts his pleasure all over his husbands hand. That hot velvety smooth tunnel tightens around Jous member, a few thrusts later and he spills his white hot seed into Li's tight hot ass moaning he does.

The blonde collapses down beside his new wife pulling him close and kissing him with all the passion remaining in him. Their lips separate and the two lay together bathing in the after glow, jou's gaze floats around the room. With a slight smirk he notes that most of the candles have flickered out and release only small ribbons of spiraling smoke. They lay together and watch the last candle flicker out, Jou turns to kiss the brunette only find him wearing a lazy smile.

"you look happy."

Jou pulls the thick blanket over their bodies while Li tucks himself under Jou's arm.

" I am very happy."

"oh yea? Whys that?"

" I'm so happy that... you chose me."

He watches as his wife eyes fall closed,then follows him in slumber.

Jou wakes up as the alarm on his cell phone buzzes, slowly moving the device across the bedside table. He reaches over swipes his thumb over the screen to unlock it then taps at the gray square labeled 'dismiss'. He slips out from his under his wife, letting him sleep in, he trots off to the dresser slips on a pair of black pajama pants.

He glances back to watch the brunette sleep for a moment before leaving the room silently shutting the door behind him. Groggily he trots down the hall yawning and stretching his arms until he raps his knuckle on mokubas door. No answer, he turns the knob and opens the door a wide grin spreading across his face when he sees mokuba laying in his large bed glaring groggily at the opening door. He lazily wiggles out of his thick warm blankets and pauses in a sitting position.

"hey punky time to wake up! UP UP UP!"

Jou runs in and jumps on the bed tackling the now wide awake thoroughly bewildered boy and rolling off the bed taking mokuba with him.

"ACK!"

Jou lifts mokuba into the air and tosses him up as if he where an infant, catching him just as easily.

"you awake yet?"

He tosses him up again

"IM AWAKE IM AWAKE!"

Jou chuckles as he places Mokuba down on the floor and watches him bolt to his personal bathroom, his bare feet pattering loudly against the floor. Jou steps across the room to the large closet Mokuba isn't fond of, he reaches in and plucks out one of Mokubas middle school uniform. Jou listens to the sound of the boys quick shower while he remakes Mokubas large bed. After ward he knocks on the door before walking in a hanging the uniform on the towel rack and stepping out again.

Just as Jou begins to head for the door to start breakfast Mokuba shout from the bathroom

" was it bad?"

Jou freezes in place

"huh?"

Mokuba steps out of the bathroom wearing his uniform pants and shirt but not his coat, jou turns to look at him confused. The boy pulls the swivel chair from his writing desk over to the side of the bed and hands Jou a green hairbrush. With a sigh jou takes the brush and settles down behind mokuba, he begins brushing the bottom of his long glossy wet black hair.

"you saw him last night... did you see all the scars?"

Jou just continues brushing for a moment before answering.

"there weren't any scars. None at all."

"none?"

"nope"

The room is silent but for the sound of the stiff green brush gliding through Mokubas thick black mane of damp hair. Almost twenty minutes later jou sets the brush down on the bed and leaves the room, letting mokuba finish getting ready alone. Down the hall the blond heads toward the kitchen to make breakfast for mokuba and perhaps to bring breakfast upstairs to his slumbering wife. The image of his soft smooth unmarred body flutters through Jou's head, his face flushes red as he tries to think of something less appealing.

Almost a half hour later the boy is sitting in the kitchen munching an omelet he didn't know Jou could make.

"so do you think the people at the bride house lied to the cops?"

Jou sits down across from Mokuba, resting his chin in his hands.

" mokie, how do we go about this?"

He pokes his food shoving a bell pepper back under the cheese of his omelet before answering

" I'm not sure, he's here as your wife. How do we tell him who he is... I mean I don't know if there's a right way to do this."

" well we cant very just not tell him, that would defeat the purpose of you having brought him home at all. Do you have a photo album or something?"

Mokuba chews his breakfast thoughtfully for a moment, swallowing loudly then poking the remainder of the food.

" I know nii chan keeps an album of our baby pictures around somewhere. I don't think that would help though. Nii chan cant remember that far back, but in the old wing there's some old family portraits."

"maybe that would work, we need to figure out how to jog his memory..."

Mokuba looks across the table to see jou looking rather dolefully out in no particular direction, he muses to himself that it might have been rather cruel to do this to Jounouchi. After all it would appear that jou has quickly become attached to 'so yung li'. At the party it even looked as if Li was pleased with the man who had chosen him, to be honest they did make a beautiful couple.

"jounouchi"

"hmm?"

" you... like him don't you?"

Jou turned to face mokuba who stared at him with large almost sorrowful eyes.

"I like most people, and its just that... he's real sweet. I know I shouldn't get too attached- but I ..."

Mokuba pokes his remaining omelet, scooting it around the plate instead of eating it.

"maybe, when nii chan wakes up... he'll remember how he felt about you this way...cause it looks like... he likes you too."

Jou sighs audibly before musing out loud.

" doubtful "

A few moments later and the blond leans in the entry way waving to Mokuba as he stares out the window of the long sleek black limo.

After watching the vehicle glide down the long driveway and disappear around the corner Jou closes the door and trots off back to the kitchen. As jou cracks three eggs into a mixing bowl he lets his mind wander.

' Perhaps mokuba is right, maybe if Li likes me enough... when he's seto again he'll still want me. But then... it would be seto kaiba... not li. Do I even want to be around when kaiba is back?'

His thoughts continue in this manner but in the end, he finds that for now he has a very beautiful very sweet wife that he very very much wants to keep happy. Its another simple breakfast, just the same omelet he had made earlier. He places it on a silver tray with a cup or orange juice since he isn't sure if Li likes tea or coffee. As he reenters his bedroom he finds the brunette pulling himself into a lazy sitting position wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"g'mornin babe"

Jou says grinning causing his wife to give a slight jump in surprise, his blur eye now fully open and awake.

"good morning dear, I didn't mean to sleep so long."

Jounouchi strolls over placing the tray directly over Li's lap, he looks up at jou with his cheeks tinted pink.

"you cooked for me? Oh my"

Jou grins before going around the bed and setting him self beside his wife.

"I'm not real good but I wanted to bring you breakfast."

He presses his lips to Li's cheek before he can respond

"oh thank you, you did not have to do this. I would be happy to cook for you."

" I beat cha to it! Heh, when your done we'll go shopping okay."

"what for?"

"you didn't bring any luggage with you, so I wanna get you some clothes and stuff okay."

"you don't have to do all that"

"I want to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~elsewhere~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A man with short black hair, black pants and calf height combat boots steps out of a streamlined cherry red sports mazda miata. As he removed his blue tinted sunglasses to look over the bridal house he grins wondering how much they can sell a deflowered bride for. A he steps up the flower lined cobblestone walkway to the house that survived centuries with a single purpose.

The wide two story bridal house looks so much like a vision from the past, especially with the women at the door looking over at him hiding her curiosity- along with every inch of her body. The woman had a light tan, almond shaped honey colored eyes high cheekbones and raven black hair. Her kimono is a furious shade of red with white lotus blossoms embroidered in like a vine crawling up an old wall. She looks at him, her thin brows aim downward signifying her disapproval, her mouth pressed into a slit on her her stern face. She raises her chin up just a bit as she steps forward from her place on the porch, her hands hidden in her sleeves which she keeps press against her flat belly.

"excuse me sir, what may I ask is your purpose here in this house?"

His grin falls as he raises his left hand, heavy with bulbous silver rings. The sound rings across the grounds like thunder, shattering the quiet like a stone tossed in the glass like surface of still water. He palm connects with her face, which turns quickly away throwing her tight bun loose from the top of her head.

"don't you know how to speak to a man? I can see why someone your age is still here."

She smiles grimly at him her eyes narrowing to slits, the curve of her mouth opening the new slice in her lip causing it to dribble ruby liquid down her chin. she pulls her hands from her sleeves revealing a parchment colored fan with a black flower painted onto its surface she flicks her wrist launching it open, flicks her wrist again snapping it shut loudly and returns her hands to their place hidden in her sleeves.

He grimaces when the sound is followed by the sight and similar snapping sound of every door and window of the house being whisked shut along with the sound of several heavy bolts falling in place. She looks at him again with her chin raised just slightly as she retorts.

" yes I know how I ought to speak to a man, that etiquette however does not apply here."

He leers at her leaning forward as he does

"do you wanna die ?"

Again with her calm smooth voice sharp eyes and slighted smile

"eventually."

It radiates off her and he can see in this moment why it is that she was decided as den mother for this house. This house as it turns even long ago produced only the most excellent brides, they had a beauty strength and intelligence, and the very best where always chosen to stay behind and rear up the newest brides.

"woman, you know why I'm here."

"oh I do?"

He whips the tinted glasses off his face revealing a strange pair of odd eyes, one a deep jungle green the other milky white. She smiles on staring unfazed into his mutilated eye

"where is he?"

" I deal in brides not husbands."

"oh he's very pretty one, blue eyes brown hair- they left him around here."

Her smile falls but she doesn't speak.

" I know you brought him back here to your little whorehouse so unless you want all your little friends to cook in their skin I suggest you tell me."

Her grin flies back to her face with a swiftness, she cocks her head to the side looking at him smugly.

"burn the house, but you will still get no answers from me."

"I WANT whats mine! And even if you don't tell me- Ill find him."

She smiles more calmly now

"he is not yours, so search on."

His eyes go wide, she can see him working his jaw in his agitation.

" you already sold him?"

She just smiles on.

" he is not yours."

At the domino city central mall Jou smiles widely he watches his wife blink absolutely bewildered at the racks of clothing.

"what do you want to wear? If you want we can go look at dresses or pants or whatever."

He turns to look at Jou still in his pretty red kimono confused

"what would you like me to wear"

"I want you wear what you feel comfortable in okay"

Not quite the response Li was hoping for, he cant remember waking and not having his clothing for the day already laid out for him. Seeing his growing frustration Jou waves for one of the shop workers to come over. A woman with dark red hair pulled back in a thin ponytail strolls up happily, she wears a blue silk button up top covered with a black uniform vest. Her glossy black kitten heels click against the dark tile floor as he approaches them, when pauses in from of the couple her eyes scan over the brunette before she says.

"I do love the vintage look. It suits you wonderfully."

Li raises his sleeves to cover his blushing face

"thank you."

Jou smirks sticking his hands in his pockets as he looks to the redheaded woman and says

" ah my wife just got here and his luggage got lost on the flight so I need to get him new clothes. But he doesn't quite seem to know what he wants to wear can you help?"

The woman smiles and nods, she opens her mouth to speak but instead her eyes go wide her head jerks back and she blurts.

"he? As in 'him' your a GUY!?"

She gawks looking over at the brunette's face, Jou smiles as he watches Li's face turn redder.

"indeed"

"no your not! No way- are you really?"

The horribly embarrassed brunette just nods again, continuing to hide his face behind his sleeves. The worker plants her hands on her wide hips seeming to deflate in her attitude.

"that's just not fair."

Jou chuckles to himself

"can you help us ?"

She quickly perks up, chest puffing up like an over proud bird

"oh yes I can!"

She reaches out placing her hand on the small of Li's back and guide him hurriedly forward, Jou follows the sound of the woman's quickly clicking heels deep into the store. As the woman plucks piles of long sleeved tunic tops off a rack along with a few long t shirts. As they trot along the aisles the woman quickly picks one article up after the other holding out in front of the brunette before either tsking or ooing and tossing the article in jous arms or back on the rack.

After a good forty minutes the woman they found is called Mina follows Li's into the changing booth to assist in the removal and folding of his kimono. The blond stands by the changing room door him arms loaded with slim fit pants knit tops of various styles and a few hair ornaments. Mina jolts out of the booth disappearing around the corner shouting

" I forgot the shoes!"

Jou wonders how long she'll be, after all its a very large area... just filled more styles of shoes than he knew existed. Curiously he peeks over his shoulder into the small area of open space since the door didn't quite shut properly. He can only the mirror, just a glimpse of the curve of his backside, feeling guilty for peeking Jou quickly looks away and stares at the pile of clothes in his arms, he can hear Li shuffling into this and that. He feels himself smiling up until he watches mina slowly and carefully walk over with a stack of boxes in her hands that reaches all the way up to just under her chin, behind her is smaller thicker worker carrying another pile of boxes. All he can say to the image is

"wow"

The two grin at him and set the pile down by the door, the shorter girl taking the lids off the boxes and organizing them as she plucks garments out of jous arms and folding them up on top of various shoe boxes. He can hear Li's voice floating out from underneath the door, so embarrassed he swears he can hear him blushing

"oh no! I can't show that much!"

"just try it! I bet your hubby will just love it!"

"oh I don't know..."

"oh just try it! You wanna make your hubby happy don't you?"

"of course I do!"

"okay put on these shoes"

The muffled sound of squeaked protests follows suit, a moment later Mina damn near kicks the door open and announces to Jou

"oh your gonna like this!"

Jou turns to the open door curiously waiting. A moment later Li steps out wearing black leggings that grip the globes of his tight little ass, a deep red knit shirt the hem of which hangs over his slender hips. The top has a scoop neck that drops low enough to spot the little red marks adorning his collar bone like a necklace, the sleeves are long enough to reach all the way to his knuckles.

Wrapped around his long slim neck is a thin black cord with a few silver charms dangling off on thin loops, a small cat shaped charm in the center on either side are small kanji which read 'good fortune'. poking out from underneath his hair are more of those little red dots Jou had accidentally left speckled over the otherwise unmarred body, seeing it exposed like that leaves Jous blood rushing in a distinctly downward direction. However not wanting to think of such things in a public place he desperately tries to think of something else anything else, his stress is noticed when a thin red red line of blood trickles from his left nostril. Mina grins

"you like it! I knew you would!"

Quickly wiping away the evidence of his train of thought he answers quickly

"all of it now, okay"

He digs his worn leather wallet out of his right back pocket and plucks out the platinum charge card Mokuba had Ella put in his name. Mina snatches it from his hand while other shorter thicker worker begins picking up the clothes and shoes along with some other worker Jou hadn't noticed until just then.

The blond wraps his arm around Li's waist, noting how thin the clothing is by the fact that he can feel the heat of his body radiating through. Jou and the three workers carry the large assortment of boxes and garments to the front of the store where they are rushed through and then assisted to the front of the mall where the usual black limo waits with the driver by the trunk.

The bags are deposited into the trunk, Mina grins as she stands by the curb watching Jou hurry his wife into the back of the limo knowing damn well what on his mind. The shorter girl stands next to her smiling as she says

"you're really good at this. That was a huge sale. How did you do it?"

" I'm just good like that."

She proudly struts away back to the shop, knowing she just bagged her fifth employee of the month award- in a row.

The driver of the limo snickers to himself as he raises the privacy screen and the volume of the radio in order to block out the already evident mewling and moaning noises coming from behind him. Not really sure if he should take them home or not he decides to take the scenic route back the manor in order to give the newlyweds a bit of time to...figure things out.

Fifteen minutes later Jou grins as he watches his wife laying splayed out on the floor of the limo panting heavily, with his new shirt pushed over his chest where a few new marks blaze brightly against his pale skin. He waits for Li to get back into his all too enticing leggings before he lowers the privacy screen he doesn't remember raising to tell the driver to take them to a small diner downtown.

The restaurant is small and cozy, its a place Jou usually works in the summer, as busboy or waiter. He like being a waiter better because he gets tips and like talking to the customers, today though the hostess smiles widely at the sight of him. The woman is tall and slim, she looks to be around her late thirties with many laugh lines behind her thin smile and a few scrunched beside her happy narrow dark brown eyes. She wears a dark blue pencil dress with violet accents, she rushes to him wrapping her arms around him in a tight motherly hug.

"jounouchi! Its been so long since you've come by- I was worried."

She loosens her grip to pause and look at the company he's brought with him,

"oh and who is your friend?"

Jou smiles wondering how she'll respond to the news

"This is so yung li... my wife"

The brunette gives a slight bow to the woman who's eyes have gone wide, her thin mouth left slightly agape as she glances back and forth between the two.

"my my she is a pretty one."

The woman looks at Jous wife curiously clearly clueless to the Adam's apple underneath his charm necklace. Jou reaches back taking Li's hand in his as he asks

"so can we get a table?"

"eh?"

The woman smiles widely clapping her hands together before she rushes back to the small podium by the door and snatching two menus, her black heels clicking all the way.

"yes yes! I'm so excited for you dear, you sure got yourself a looker didn't you!"

Glancing back Jou watches Li's face turn even brighter from a slight pink tint to a bright red.

As they trot along the cozy place to an empty table they bypass a small table with a only one patron. This patron looks curiously over his menu, his strange odd eyes go wide in shock. How could it possibly be that life could just hand him his prize like this?! There it is HIS prize with chocolate colored hair, icy blue eyes and rose white skin…ruefully speckled with little red blemishes where some one had placed their mouth on his perfect flesh.

He narrows his eyes at the jovial couple and wonders how it could be possible for some teenager to have enough money to purchase a mail order bride. A teenager with scuffed sneakers and holes in his jeans, the man growls to himself as he watches this abhorrent waste of muscle tissue kiss seto, kiss deeply.

As the couple separates he doesn't feel the scowl that deepens on his grizzled features even though he does enjoy the sight of seto with his lips slightly swollen from the pressure of that kiss. The scowl flips and becomes a sharp grin as he pretends to read his menu. The man with his short jet black hair decides he will leave when they do, to get a look at the car they leave in... more specifically its license plate.

Almost two hours later the man feel slightly sick with the way the blonde keeps touching seto, caressing his shoulders or running his fingers though his silken hair. Thankfully the couple decides they ought to move on, the blonde attempts to pay for the meal only for the hostess to shoo his wallet away claiming the meal as a wedding gift for the happy couple. He waits for them to head half way to the door before he pays for his own meal, leaving a roll of bills he didn't bother to look at in order to follow his prize at a distance. His eyes go wide in shock as he watches what is clearly the kaibacorp limousine roll to a halt directly in front of the pair, the driver tries to rush to open the door only for Jou to pull the door open for Li to duck into the vehicle.

'home?! He went back to his own home!? How HOW!?'

The man quickly schools his features back in place already formulating a plan of action on how EXACTLY he plans to get his little 'dove' back. The man walks across the parking lot pulling his keys from his pocket and pressing the button on his little plastic key chain, unlocking his cherry red miata.

As he plucks open the heavy door he recalls the first time he'd seen the brunette, in new york a year and a half ago.

He remembers walking through the new kaiba corp building that his own company was providing the security to, it was right then that a short round man had been flung out a door landing heavily against the wall. He paused in place watching as the tall teenager stepped out of the room leering down his nose, cold fury emanating from his glacier colored eyes. He hadn't paid attention to a single word that came out of kaibas mouth only the fact that his lips where a lovely rose pink, and his skin was pale, pale as dove wings. It was then as the brunette stalked down the long hallway leaving terror in his wake that the man decided that he would die if he could not have his dove.

The man with his short onyx hair his one good eye grinned as he pulled his favorite car into the long driveway of his own manor with its many columns shaped like various goddesses holding up the second layer of his massive home. His grins fades as he pulls open the large heavy oak arced doorway to his oversized home, the interior is riddled the life blood of hundreds of artisans and crafts man surrounding each visitor with elegance and beauty. A single maid steps forward bowing to him as she greets him.

"welcome home how was your day sir?"

"fruitful"

At the kaiba estate Mokuba hops out of the same limo that picked him up curious about how jous day went, if seto had remembered anything. He shuffles off and finds the couple standing at the stairs while four maids and a butler carry hoards of large shopping bags up to the room.

" you guys went shopping?"

The brunette nods with a slight smile

"yes, it was quite amusing. How was your day?"

Mokuba smiles at his brother then at jou

"same old same old, so you guys where out all day?"

Jou nods and chuckles as he watches the servants disappearing into his bedroom putting away his wife's new wardrobe.

"yea, he didn't have any other clothes but the one kimono so I thought we should."

Mokuba pretends not to nice the bright hickeys exposed by the low top.

"well you look really pretty Li"

Li gives a meek nod

"thank you."

He turns to looks at jou nervously

"if you do not mind... I would like to see the other clothes that mina picked."

Jou smiles and nods

"go ahead, show me a few okay."

"Alright!"

Mokuba smirks at Jou who watches setos behind as he hurries up the stairs to their bedroom.

"you left marks Jou."

This time the blonde turns bright red

"uhh what?"

The boy grins widely

"you left them all over! Its impossible not to see em!"

" I couldn't help it..."

Mokuba laughs loudly at jous apparent enthusiasm with his brother, he motions for jou to follow him as he heads for the kitchen to get a snack

"so you guys spent the whole day together huh?"

"yea... it was nice."

" he didn't seem to notice anything?"

"no, he was...preoccupied."

In his head an image flashes of Li with his knees pressed against his chest on the floor of the limo.

Mokuba arcs an eyebrow at the blonds flustered expression

"I'll bet he was..."

He breaks into hysterical giggles as Jou flushes bright red, verifying his suspicions. Mokuba pops open the fridge snatching out an apple and walks over to the cupboard plucking out a jar of peanut butter.

They debate on trying to jog setos memory immediately or giving him a moments rest to enjoy himself for a moment. This is decided for them when they leave the kitchen and find Li stepping down the stairs ready to show off his new attire, a violet shirt with a black butterfly printed across the front, the hem stopping just above his belly button. Over the violet top is a black mini sweater with a cat eared hood, clinging to his hips are dark blue jeans that cling to his legs showing off every curve of his glorious body. At the top of the low hanging jeans is black studded leather belt to match the ankle high glossy black booties.

Mokuba blinks wondering why his brother never wore these things before, he looks cute, turning his gaze he snorts as he watches Jou trying to wipe away a small trail of blood without being spotted. Deciding trying to continue any coherent conversation at this point is just a lost cause mokuba declares to the room at large.

"well I have home work soooo I'll just be off now..."

Before Mokuba can make his vanishing act jou is up the stairs lifting Li up carrying him up the stairs hurrying back to their room. The boy covers his ears trying not to hear the faint moaning echoing down the hall before the sound of a door slamming shut.

A few hours later the trio sits around the long dining table as they wait for the cook to bring out their dinner. Mokuba is the first to try and strike up conversation

"so how was your first night home? How did you sleep?"

The brunette furrows his brow in thought.

"I had a strange dream"

Jou blinks curiously, both he and the boy stare at Li waiting for the rest

"what kind of dream- what happened in it?"

"mmm... it started with the strangest thing. A dragon it was all white and it was so angry, it just kept roaring at someone. Then the man he started laughing, it was a horrible sound. he ran forward and when he touched the dragon the ground came up and swallowed it whole."

The two stare in shock at the brunette who isn't finished.

"then I woke up and fell asleep again, but this time I dreamed a kitten ate a water melon."

Jou laughs at the last part trying to imagine it

"that must have been cute."

"oh it was adorable. It kept sneezing."

dinner goes on with the mellow sound of ebbing and flowing conversation randomly switching topics from this to that. Dinner passes and the trip scurries off to the living room where they sit together with mokuba wedged between the couple as they watch evening tv together.

Almost a half hour later a shot rings out in the background startling the three of them out of their calm stupor, Jou stands quickly looking around before looking back to the pair that remains seated together on the couch.

"you two get to the room okay stay there I'm gonna go see what that was okay."

mokuba tries to argue only to find hands on his shoulder guiding him upstairs quickly. Jou picks up the remote pressing the red power button and watching the screen flicker to sleep. He skulks across the living room to the entry hall to the heavy front door making sure its locked, he backtracks checking windows along the way. He moves silently along the walls, past the living room through the sitting room, into the dining room.

It is here that he notices the panicked voice of one of the maids emanating from underneath the door across the room, in the kitchen. Jou steps forward silently padding up to the door,he slips behind it pressing his back against the wall when he spotted the door being pushed open from the other side. He halts his breath when a man completely in black steps out, the long barrel of a silver gun glinting at his side, he takes a step as if to stride forward but instead spins on the ball of his foot and looks down his previously broken nose at Jou.

He grins widely revealing his crooked white teeth, Jou with his back firmly against the wall glares at the man before asking

"what do you want? "

The man in his black shirt with his black waist length coat, dark denim and heavily worn combat boots, he flicks his tongue out where it swipes over his lips.

" I want my dove."

In jous mind doves are white birds and by now the color white only reminds him of warm pale flesh begging to be touched. He pretends he doesn't know what the man wants.

"dove?"

The man crosses he arms over his barrel chest, brandishing his gun.

" my dove, you took him away from me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~upstairs~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mokuba hides in the walk in closet hidden in the wall to the left of the bed, curled around him is his brother who grips him tightly trying to remain calm. However still Li's features are, being pressed so close Mokuba can feel his heart beating violently in his chest. He grips the brunette tightly when he hears a heavy thud and one of the maids scream her words cut short and followed by another heavy 'thud'.

Li holds Mokuba close clenching his eyes shut only to find a strange image flood his vision.

The scene is somehow familiar and similar to the one at hand. He is hidden in a small dark space, holding onto a small body wrapped up on a bundle of blankets. Gently his body rocks back and forth as he coo's to the child all the calmness he doesn't really feel. In the background the sound is horrible screaming and shouting and glass things shattering. Someone is crying, a woman... why is she crying?

Blue eyes fly open to the scene at hand, he hadn't realized when he had begun to mimic the image that fluttered through his vision. Gripping the boy and rocking back and forth whispering that everything would be alright. This time is different from the estranged memory because in this moment he whispers to Mokuba

"don't worry Katsuya will take care of us, don't worry. don't worry."

A

thunderous roar is heard from downstairs followed by a gunshot, something slams against the bedroom door. The voices are muffled so the words aren't heard until something breaks against the door, causing it to slam open.

The man with odd eyes glares down at Jou and his smart mouth, in a short fit he pulls the gun back and whips it across the youths strong jawline. Jou feels his head snap to the side his cheek slamming against the wall, when he opens his eyes again his vision is dotted with neon colors .

A thick strong cold hand wraps around Jounouchi's neck lifting him up off the floor and holding him high up. He kicks at his captor violently until something cold and smooth is pressed against his temple. For some reason Jou speaks to the man even with the gun pressed to his skull

"I cant imagine why you might have trouble getting a damn date."

Bad choice.

He watches the mans lip curl into a sneer before the room flies behind him. Jou feels himself being flung forward, his body rolling in the air, he lands on his shoulder crashing into the long dining table. His body skids across the length of it tearing down the white table runner and its adornments. He rolls off the end of it, his body crumpling in a heap on the cold tile floor.

steps forward irritated at the child that doesn't want to give back what he took, who seems to think that he is wrong in his want. He deserves this, after all he did all that work to procure the brunette only to have the entourage that gathered him become over zealous, they had been warned of

Setos famous acid tongue. Of his physical strength that almost matched his cunning and wit.

What a bunch of idiots, just leaving him out there in the middle of nowhere! And worse having marred his gorgeous body- the possibility of what they could have done burning in his mind.

The possibility that he knows so few could resist given the opportunity- so the entourage was... dealt with. was sure that without those bumbling idiots that nothing would stand in the way of him loving his dove.

no. now there's this fool. This moronic child who seems to be under the impression that he is of all things protecting Seto- PROTECTING! As if he would allow any harm to pass the brunette, as if anything should ever taint his ivory skin. No no no. loves him too much for that. would have to keep him locked away to keep him safe.

"listen you little shit, I know you know where he is. So just give him back."

"I'm not telling you shit"

Just as the last word is spit from his mouth a heavy black boot connects with the side of his face flinging him to the side. Irritated with the blond follows him as his body rolls to a stop, then just watches him struggle to get back up. Hes too slow, but he could be useful.

So steps forward and grips Jou by his hair and yanks him upward, so high up that they appear eye to eye. But Jous feet don't touch the floor, they simply hang there as he grips his captors wrists trying to stop the pain of what feels like his scalp peeling off his skull.

He is carried in this manner out of the now damaged dining room across the sitting room. Jou kicks and tries to pry iron grip off of him only to have his head smashed into the nearest wall, repeatedly.

Jous vision blurs and his limbs fall to his sides like lead weights, he blinks slowly as hes entirely positive he has concussion by now.

"don do it- don toush himm..."

blinks down at the boy still trying to fight even with his severe head trauma. If he wasn't so inconvenient he'd commend the boys efforts instead he just carries him across the entry way up the spiral stairs.

The hallway was long as can be, still and quiet for some reason. walked up to the first door he saw and kicked it open, glancing around it he saw that it was clearly a guest room, with its simple design and uniform appearance. Getting tired of keeping the rather heavy body up,he lowers his arm more quickly than he has to, allowing the lower portion of Jous body to slam and crumple into the hard cold tile floor. He drags Jous limp body along the floor kicking open every door he comes across peeking in deciding its not the room hes looking for and moving to the next. All the way down the hall til he comes to a white door at the far end of the hall.

He kicks the solid wood door open with his heavy boot, leaving behind a deep indentation of his heel.

The door slams against the wall and bounces back only to be caught in 's strong grip. He lets go and leaves the door still, his eyes rove about the wide spacious room, with a feint aroma of a fresh lit match. On the bedside table sits a candle half melted onto its tray, the wick charred and black.

The windows are firmly shut and it would appear there is only one way in and one way out, but is it true? Mr. Connor heaves an irritated sigh and shakes the boy dangling from his grip violently back to consciousness.

" boy, where did you let my dove wander off to?"

Jounouchi glare blearily up at the man who jars him out of his head trauma induced slumber.

"nno..."

simply glares down at the shaken boy in his grip, he wonder if the boy even knows what it is hes refusing. In the event that his dove is still in here Mr. Connor tries a different method of retrieval.

"Dove are you in here?"

He shouts at the room around him, in the closet Li grips mokuba tightly staring at the back of the door.

"hey dove, pretty thing that you are come out now alright."

Li's brow sets into a stern glare at the door, as if he's that stupid.

"Oh now dove I'm not gonna hurt you, but your little friend here... I cant guarantee."

Immediately Li crawls forward quiet as can be, motioning for mokuba to stay put. Li places his his cheek flat on the floor peering under the small gap underneath the closet door to see precisely what is going on. Blue eyes go wide in shock, Jounouchi dangles listlessly in the invaders grip, eyes half lidded with heavy bruises beginning to take color all over Jou's face and arms.

Mr. Connor drops the boy to the ground and places his heavy combat boot on Jou's hand, Jou groans and jerks awake as Mr. Connors full body weight presses down over his fingers. With a sickening crunch Jous eyes snap open and he screams writing at Mr. Connors feet as all four of his fingers break beneath his foot.

Li quickly clamps his hands over his mouth and scrunches his eyes shut while Jou tries desperately to pull his hand out from under the weight of the man. Mr. Connor cocks his head to the side, his ears twitch slightly. Stupid loud kid, probably covered up whatever sound his dove made.

"see dove, I'll take you away from this runt, I'll take care you my sweet little dove. Unless of course you don't care about this little bastard."

Jounouchi holds his injured hand gingerly against his chest cradling it with his good arm and leering at Mr. Connor. Jou shouts from his place curled on the floor.

"Leave him alone!"

a heavy boot swiftly connects with his face, his beautiful face. Li jumps upward and shoves the door open slamming it shut behind him.

"What do you want!?"

Li's slim frame is pressed up against the wall, staring petrified at Mr. Connor. He grins back with his strange disturbed looking smile.

"well I want you of course my precious little dove."

Li glares at as he takes a step forward to the him, only for jou to reach out with his good hand and grab for the mans ankle. sneers down at Jou before kicking him across his face again.

"NOO!"

Li shrieks out loud and lunges forward to get to his husband only to be snatched around the waist by one very strong arm. He flails and kicks trying desperately to evade the mans vice grip on his miniscule waistline, to now avail.

"you let me go! LET ME GO!"

smiles as he wraps his strong arms around Li's narrow torso, effectively binding his arms down. He simply hold tight until Li simply hangs there in his arms glaring daggers and panting heavily.

" Why would I let you go when it took me so long to get a hold of you?"

With that he attempts to press his dry lips against his doves own rose pink soft lips, only for him to turn his face away. Li cringes in disgust at the sensation, he turns to face the man and against everything he can remember being taught sneers and spits in Mr. Connors face. The wet spray of saliva landing over his cheek near his mouth.

A cracked baritone of a laugh floods the room sending chills up Jonouchis spine, he lays on his side with his back against the side of the bed. His vision is beginning to turn fuzzy in places, but there just from the corner of his eye he see's one of the many jars of bath salts Anzu ad given them for their wedding. His head hurts and the pain in his hand is incredible...but Li...no...Seto is in danger.

Li shrieks in disgust kicking and flailing trying desperately to get away from his forced affections. It only results in the man finding his behavior 'cute' as he lays wet kisses on Li's neck jaw. Until the pair is launched forward with a loud resounding crash of broken glass, they tumble forward. Mr. Connor lands heavily on top of Li knocking the wind out of him. The now surly man pushes himself up and snaps his head to look at Jounouchi, just in time to see him slam down a second heavy jar of salt on his already damaged face.

He lands down just as Li rolls out of the way, he groans and curses rolling onto his back. Hes still conscious, this fact irks jonouchi so much he takes a running start slamming the top part of his sneaker into the side Mr. Connors bloody damages face. His head slams back against the flood with heavy thud and the crunching of more broken glass.

Mokuba peeks out of the closet, he lets out a sigh of relief when he sees Jou standing over the unconscious man and Li with his back pressed flat against the open door. Brown eye's scan the room with fuzzy tunnel vision, spotting Li he grins with a busted lip and blood trickling down from between his teeth.

"kaibs are you okay?"

Suddenly he gives a pained and confused expression bringing his uninjured hand up to his forehead just before he tips over falling backward. Li shrieks and runs forward Mokuba panics and runs for the phone he hope isn't disconnected.

Its is three days later when warm golden sunlight spills through the small sliver between the curtains gently rousing Jou from his troubled slumber. Mokuba peeks in the room heartbroken as he watches his brother cry quietly beside the bed unsure of what to do, behind his back he fiddles with a small thin faded blue photo album.

"Li?"

His head jerks up to look at mokuba who stares at him with eyes full of...sorrow or is that regret? He shifts in his stiff chair beside Jounouchis bed, unsure of what to say he simply nods to the boy. Mokuba steps in walking slowly to his older brother still with his arms tucked behind his back. As he comes to a halt directly beside Li he pulls out the blue album from his back and holds it out.

"what is this?"

They both turn their attention to the sound of rustling sheets and watch as Jounouchi's tired eyes flutter open. For a moment he just stares at the ceiling not wanting to look at either of the people beside his rest bed. Nervously he licks his lips and swallows nothing feeling as if he suddenly very thirsty. His head rolls to the side and he look at Li longingly.

"I want, I wanna be selfish and never tell you."

mokuba closes his eyes to stop the stinging sensation to dam up the threatening storm as turns his face away from Jou. Lis gaze doesn't waver, he just stares and whispers.

"'kaibs', who is that? "

Jou grimaces knowing full well he has no right whatsoever to be so greedy as to fail to his voice quivers as he does.

"how did you get to the bridal house?"

Li swears he can feel his heart break, his hands curl around the small blue photo album wrinkling the edges.

"I don't know, I just woke up there and they took care of me."

"when you got there... you had marks... didn't you."

Li closes his eyes against the memory of him launching himself out of his bed screaming at the sight of the bloody bandages wrapped around his chest arms and...his thighs.

"yes"

"did you know your name then?"

"no."

"do you know it now?"

"...no..."

" Your name is Seto Kaiba, your mokubas older brother."

Li bites his lower lip to keep it from quivering, Mokuba reaches out and slips the album from Li's shaking hands opening it the first faded water damaged image.

" we searched everywhere for you..."

The picture is of a boy with messy brown hair in a white t shirt and cloud printed pajama pants sitting in the corner of a bright red couch, he looks at the camera with tired eyes and lopsided smile. Tucked in his thin pale arms in a bundle of purple blankets, in a small opening of which is sleeping face with chubby cheeks and thick wild tuft or black hair.

Jou watches as thick hot pearly tears roll down his wife's face.

"we found your picture in the ad for brides... and we where so happy but we needed to bring you home. Where you belong, and I'm the only one that was old enough to go through a legal marriage. so-"

Li flips the chunk plastic page

"You didn't choose me."

He looks a picture of himself squatted down on the grass holding a grubby soccer ball while a tiny boy with untrainable black hair leans forward gripping shoulders trying to stay standing. The air is tense and heavy, he flips the page again.

Jounouchi and mokuba both can see the immense hurt in those clouded blue eyes, his finger skate across the image that Jou cant see.

"I love the you that is... and it hurts."

Li looks up from the images, his face unreadable.

" Why? "

"cause I know, this isn't forever. I know one day your gonna wake up with your right mind. That day will come and you'll go back to hating me. When that day comes... I don't know what I'll do."

" you had sex with me thinking-"

"I made love to you."

On the edge of the bed Mokuba cries and tries his damnedest to be silent, every inch of himself feels guilty as if he is the reason for both their pain.

"How can you say that?"

"Because you are you, all the things that make Seto who he was, you cannot recall, so you cant feel that pain. Or be that guarded, you don't even remember me, so how can you hate me?"

Li just look at Jou in shock and something else he cant quite put his finger on. He looks down at the picture, its a fresher newer picture, in it are all the people from the impromptu wedding reception along with Jounouchi and himself. Looking at it he sees his own face turned away in mild irritation, although dangling happily from his arm is Mokuba with a wide toothy smile.

He looks up from the image across the wrinkled sheets, over to Jous heavily bandages and splinted hand. He looks up to Jous face, heavy with bruises and a few lines of stitches over his cheek and brows.

"I don't want to remember."

Jonouchi opens his eyes and looks to Li and his bright blue eyes.

" but you will... its already started."

Night falls and Li stands in one of many long hallways wandering aimlessly until he finds himself staring at a large family portrait. Two boys with emotions that seem to spill out of the paint and wash over Li's entire being, fear and unrelenting hate. The feeling touches him like tendrils of smoke cold and ghostly, he shakes it off and walks further on. This image is a bit newer, the himself in the image is older and near unreadable, his small hand is placed on mokubas shoulder. This mokuba has a slight smile, he looks less frightened than the previous image. Maybe its because the old man in the strange suit is not towering over the pair.

In his mind those word repeat themselves and make him wonder what exactly Jonouchi meant by it.

'Its already started.'

Li trudges through hallways tired but unsure if he should try and climb into bed with Jonouchi, he turns a corner and finds himself in a dark room. It appears wide and spacious but with something standing out silhouetted in the center. He steps closer to what appears to be a statue curiously, he steps around it and sees bright glittering blue diamonds.

Li stumbles backward and stares the things as a whole at a distance he can see the fierce expression set in its sharp face looking as if it where lunging forward with its wings spread open wide upward and and its claws curled as if to snatch up its target.

His eyes go wide in shock as it dawns on him that this is the thing from his dream, the dread dragon that reared up to defend him...on countless occasions. The image of three of them standing in front of him whirling together to become something else floods his mind. His skull feels for some reason as if it might split open, he slams his hands to the side of his head and screams at the top of his lungs.

So far away, the sound does not carry to the room Jou sleeps in, none the less he lurches up out of the smaller bed and barrels out the guest room door. He clutches his injured hand close to his chest as he follows a path he's not sure of only to find Li in a crumpled heap on the floor in the dark. He doesn't look at the statue, he doesn't even notice its there. He lands down his knees beside the fallen form, placing his hand on Lis thin sharp shoulder shaking it in panic.

"hey! Hey Li- kaiba wake up hey HEY!"

Jounouchi feels panic well up in his chest, so he leans down tries to lift the light weight form up with his one good arm, effectively managing to get the limp body slung up over his shoulder. He tries not to continue to panic, to calm his breath as he attempts to carry Li or kaiba , who ever it is that's currently slung over his shoulder.

"c'mon don't do this now!"

He walks leaning to his left in order to keep kaiba (he thinks) settled on his right shoulder at as brisk a pace as he can manage down the long hallway, all the way back to the bedroom he had been calling his own the last few days. Jounouchi lays kaiba down as gingerly as he can manage, wondering if he should stay or leave. When who wakes up will they mind being alone? Should he cal a doctor? A shrink?

As these thought fly back and fourth through Jonouchis muddled mind he freezes in place when he see, kaibas head loll to the side, his eyes frantic beneath their lids. Unsure of what action he should take but suddenly flooded with the thought that he needs to stay put he glanced nervously around the room, looking for the crystal bell he never used.

He finds it tucked away in a drawer he never bothered with previously, its filled with papers that have thin curling black handwriting spread across the surface. Tempting but not his, he tilts his head to the side looking at the many papers curiously before closing the drawer, he shuffles over to the door and rings the crystal bell three times and waits.

"please be okay, it ain't that bad, you're home you're safe now."

Jounouchi says these things in the hope that it will reach kaiba wherever he is and calm him in his sleep, stop the nightmare that might be.

"nnn"

A strangled cry from the sleeping figure.

Days have passed and the family doctor looks at what might as well be his own blood, laying in his wide bed head lolling left and right. Over the blankets his fingers twitch, his hand curling up and furling as if he where trying to grasp something no one can see. Mokuba sits beside the bed and talks to him, tells him he's sorry for everything that went wrong. He tells his older brother how happy he looked sitting beside Jonouchi, he coos to him and tells him everything will be alright.

Standing in the doorway watching this, Jounouchi wonders if this is the way Seto had behaved when they found him, was he this way or better or worse? Wanting to know if they handled him better, he wanders back to the guest room he's been sleeping in and locks the door behind him. He looks around and pulls his beat up and heavily worn in green back pack out from under the bed. He plops down on the edge of the bed unzipping the bag and feeling around the mess of papers for something familiar.

His hand closes around a roll of cold glossy paper, he pulls it from the bag and looks at the one and half square inch image of his wife. He unfolds the magazine and looks at the familiar phone number, slipping his chunky outdated cell phone out of his pocket he dials the number slowly, almost afraid.

An automated voice asks for a pin number and a bride number, he dials both and finds himself put on hold. What sounds like elevator music floats out of the speaker of his phone for only a few minutes, until a woman answers. She sounds slightly out of breath,he doesn't mention that.

"hello sir, the bride you are looking for has already been married, we took her down for our catalog as well. How may I ask is it that you know Li's bride number?"

"I'm the one that married him."

He cant even hear the woman breathing, silence stretches over the line for only a moment.

"Are you unsatisfied with your bride?"

" I need to speak to the person that took care of him, when he first arrived."

The woman drops the professionalism in her voice and sounds frightened as she queries Jonouchi.

"oh my! Is he alright? Has something gone wrong?!-"

"please I need to speak to that person"

"oh yes alright just one moment please."

Jou can hear her fumble and drop the phone, he can hear give hissed curses, he hears her placing the phone down beside the cradle the sound of something sliding open and slamming shut. Shes shouting beyond the door she slammed but he can still hear it even if it is muffled. In his mind he wonders who 'den mother' is and what she is like.

" This is Ayuki, den mother of this bridal house, how may I assist you? "

Her voice is calm and almost soothes the panic that roils in his chest.

" when you found him, what was wrong with him then? Because something happened and I cant get him to wake up... I was wondering about how he was when you took care of him when you found him."

" bring him here."

"when?"

"now"

A fuzzy click announces the line going dead, Jou simply listens to the dull unrelenting hum of the dead line for a minute before he clicks the small red button on his phone. He slips his phone back into his pocket before he leaves the room and trudges warily back to kaibas room, where he can hear Mokuba crying again.

Almost 14 hours later Jonouchi sits in the back of a black SUV kaiba laying out across the back seat, his knees lifted leaning against the seat his head resting on Jonouchis lap. The car rumbles over the long narrow dirt road that curls around a lush green mountain, in the distance he can see a house. It looks like a scene from an old romance movie.

"Look, were almost there, are you excited to be back?"

He looks down to kaiba who sleep on, strangely calm through the whole ride, no fits, no nightmares. He simply laid calmly in Jous lap sleeping almost peacefully. Kaiba seems to answer with a slight exhale, Jous mouth twitches into a sad kind of smile.\

When they finally pull up to the antique house, a row of women stand at the door all with dark colored kimono's as if they where in mourning.

All but one, she is just slightly taller than the others, she wears a bright red kimono very similar to the one Li had worn on the day he arrived. The image stings the corner of Jous eyes, he waits for the driver to open the door before he slips one arm under kaibas shoulder blades gripping his shoulder, the other arm underneath his knees.

As he steps out he watches the brides look at him with such sorrow as if he where carrying a corpse.

"you have managed to keep him calm for the trip?"

"but I still cant get him to wake up"

The woman in red looks sadly at kaiba before turning away, two other women pull the front door open.

"follow me"

Jonouchi stares at her back as he carries his wife and follows on her heels, he doesn't notice the interior of the house. How beautiful it is, the artful paintings adorning the walls the craftsmanship of the woodwork, these things he previously would have stared at for hours.

She leads him to a place out back, where he watches clouds of steam rise up from a large hot spring. She stands facing the rising clouds and inhales deeply, she then turns to face Jonouchi who still cradles his wife.

"wait here a moment"

She walks past him her wooden shoes clicking against the floor as she reenters the house, Jonouchi simply looks down and watches kaibas sleeping face, wondering precisely what consciousness is hidden behind those lids.

For some reason he looks calm, serene as if nothing in the world could bother him. Jou hears the clacking of wooden shoes on the floorboards, he turns to look and sees her carrying out a large jar of glittering blue salts. He looks at it curiously, watcher her crouch down beside the hot spring, she unscrews the lid and throws hand fulls of the salt across the surface. Over and over she tosses the glittering salt crystals, they land in the water sound like a light rain on pavement.

After a moment his eyes grew wide as the clouds of steam began to change color, becoming a misty blue. The sound of another pair of wooden shoes draws his attention, he turns to looks and see another one of the brides standing in dark violet kimono carrying folded towels and a small round wood bucket of wash clothes and a few small bottles of shampoo and soap. She leans down and places them on the edge of the hot spring.

The den mother looks at Jonouchi curiously for a moment before informing him.

"these are our special salts, these are how we ensure the health and wellness of every bride here. They have conquered many ailments, mental and physical. When he arrived here the first time, I bathed him but since he is your wife you will bathe him this time."

Both women exit the area, silently sliding the door shut behind them leaving Jounouchi to his task. He places kaiba down on the ground carefully, holding him in a sitting position as he peels his clothing off of him. He unfolds one of the towels and lays Kaiba down on it so that he can divest himself of his own clothing, after which he scoops Seto up into his arms and slowly steps into the hots spring.

He finds a nice place to sit and sets kaiba down there, he swims across the small body of comfortingly heated water and takes up the small bucket. As he washes kaibas body he finds himself whispering to kaiba.

"please, please come back we need you. Kaibs please... can you hear me"

At this point Jonouchi is holding kaibas hand, pressing soft kisses against his long slender fingers.

Ayuki sits inside the the sitting room of the house with three of the other brides sipping a steaming cup of green tea, wondering exactly how many of these baths it will take to wake that boy from his comatose state. In her mind she counts out the fifteen bathes it took to wake him the first time, so is completely caught off guard by the sound of an absolutely disturbed scream erupting from the back of the house.

The four women jolt in place, either spilling or just dropping their tea cups, Ayuki quickly rights herself and bolts for the hot spring. She wrenches open the door shaking it almost off its sliding track to find Kaiba throwing the wooden bucket at Jonouchi and yelling at the top of his lungs

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? DONT YOU EVER TOUCH ME YOU-"

His screaming rant is cut short by den mother Ayuki raising her voice, thus rescuing Jonouchi from his place curled up on the other side of the hot spring, his arms over his head and face like a shield.

"calm yourself NOW."

Kaiba turns to face the woman in her bright red kimono who leers down the bridge of her nose at him, he is not cowed by it.

" who the bloody hell are you! Why I am in a fucking bath with HIM!-"

Rather than speak she raises her hand showing the fat of her palm, insinuating that he must quiet himself, he does.

" you have questions, I will answer them in a moment. For now simply dry off and I will return with clothing for you "

With that she turns away sliding the door shut behind her, kaiba snarls and glares furiously across the water through the steam at Jonouchi who only stares upward at the sky. He wants to scream a plethora of horrid things, mostly because of that last thing he remembers, it has nothing to do with Jonouchi at all.

He steps out of the water and snatches up a soft white towel, it is only as he begins to drag it over his body that he realizes something is amiss. Jounouchi watches as kaiba looks in bewilderment at the underside of his forearms, curiously drags his hands over his chest. Kaiba rapidly blinks for a moment before quickly drying himself off, the door slides open again.

Ayuki and one of the brides step out, they casually walk up to him- Ayuki taking the towel from his hands. The bride with her light brown hair pulled up into sleek braid step up from behind kaiba slipping the wide sleeves of the violet silk kimono over his arms while the other pulls it tight around him. He just stands there confused while they tightly wrap a dark red obi around his narrow waist.

The bride guides kaiba back into the house while her den mother stays put, she looks over at Jonouchi who hasn't attempted to get out of the water yet. Even through the steam she can see pearly tears rolling down his face, unsure of what to say she simply looks to the wet towel in her hands and the one laid out flat on the ground.

"I will bring you a clean towel"

She then turns away, leaving Jonouchi to his thoughts. When she comes back she finds him already dry in his jeans, pulling on his shirt. She looks at him forlorn, knowing it must hurt.

" please come inside, we must explain to him what transpired. Perhaps then things may go more smoothly."

He smiles at her, though it does not reach his eyes.

Inside the house kaiba sits in a room he doesn't recognize, although t feels familiar. He peeks around the near empty space finding a rolled futon it the corner and several pillows leaning against it, for some reason he finds himself setting out three pillows and wondering if he should make tea. The thought floats through his head for a moment before he wonders why the bloody hell he would make tea at the moment.

At first he sits with his legs underneath him, he grunts in discomfort before getting up and placing the pillow near the wall. He plops down on the pillow with his back to the wall and his long legs out stretched in front of him, crossed at the ankles. The door slides open and Jou steps in, he glances around the room and takes a seat on one of the pillows, sitting with his legs crossed in front of him. Kaiba looks at him for a moment and suddenly he can feel the waves of depression radiating off him.

He sneers at jounouchi who only looks down to the floor, he doesn't say a word.

" oh what you feel guilty for what you where doing?"

The door slides open, Ayuki steps in carrying a tray of tea, she walks gracefully into the room, folding herself into a sitting position as she sets down the hot tea pot and three ceramic red and black ceramic cups. She turns her gaze to kaiba on the far end of the room and speaks to him from over her shoulder.

"there is no need to be rude, please come here and sit"

He growls inwardly, stands up takes his pillow and seats himself down in the empty space across from Jou. Kaiba grumbles as he finds that the only other available sitting position is to have his long thin legs folded under him. He doesn't like the silence or the fact that no one wants to tell him what happened where he is or why he's there.

"what happened where am I why am I here and WHY was I taking a bath with the mutt?"

Ayuki pours the tea, after all three cups are filled and she has gently set the still steaming teapot back on the tray does she look at him.

"tell first, what is the last thing you remember."

kaiba grimaces visibly, turning his face away from the pair. He swallows nothing, his Adam's apple bounces slightly in his throat before licks his suddenly dry lips and tries to speak. He wind up looking slightly embarrassed, he opened his mouth to speak but no sound came. He takes a deep breath trying not to shudder as he exhales to try again.

"I remember hanging from a tree while those people..."

he seems to struggle with words be fore locating an adequately descriptive but not embarrassing word choice.

"subjected me to their...whims...the next thing I know I'm waking up out there with the mutt."

Jou stares numbly out the small circular window behind kaiba, who looks at him half curious but more irritated.

Ayuki looks at Seto with no visible expression, she sips her tea slowly before she informs him.

"that was four months ago."

kaibas head jerks quickly in her direction with his eyes wider that saucers, lips parted in shock.

"What!?-"

she continues.

" we found you hanging from the tree on out way back from shopping in town, we cut you down and tried to take you to a hospital, no one recognized you. We brought you back here and cared for you until you woke, when you did you had no idea what your own name was. We have had many women come to us never wanting to go back to where they came from. So we treated you like a runaway- we trained in how to be proper bride. Every day you told us thank you."

Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the floor for a moment then she looked back up to kaiba, she stared at his blue eyes.

" When you decided you where ready to be placed in our catalog, people made offers for you immediately. We however screened them, we didn't deem that any of those men would be good to you. Then one day we got a much shyer caller, he sounder so scared and nervous on the phone."

Jounouchi closes his eye trying to remember what that phone interview was like. It brings a weak smile to his face.

"He was honest with every answer,the best answer he gave was that wanted you to be alright, wanted you to be happy and safe. He wanted to care for you. So we let him talk to you, it was brief conversation but afterward you where so happy, you smiled all day long and you couldn't seem to sleep for the rest of the week. You where so happy that when the day came for you to finally meet him- your hands where shaking and you couldn't eat."

kaiba looks at her and feel somewhat guilty, her eyes glisten as she speaks with her slightly wavering voice.

" Then you went to meet him, is the one who took you there. She said he was enamored with you the moment you walked in. you signed your marriage certificate and you became his wife. We haven't seen you since that moment."

kaiba looks some where between furious and confused, his brow is knitted his glare darts between Ayuki and Jou.

"I married the mutt?"

"That is not a good thing to call your husband."

"so MUTT what happened then?"

Jou brings his gaze back in from the small window and looks at kaiba with that forlorn expression as if a part of him has been lost.

" mokuba, he was so happy to see you. But you didn't know who he was."

The snarky glare falls from his face, he stares in shock and silence at Jou.

" he said we had to go see yugi and the guys, they where so happy you where safe. They threw a surprise party to celebrate you coming home, you … becoming my wife. You looked so embarrassed."

Jounouchi sighs heavily before continuing.

" when we came home I went and tucked mokuba into bed, when I cam back to the room all the lights where out and you where...just there waiting."

he lets the sentence trail off, kaiba feels his face flush red, watching Jounouchi talk is sort of like watching a detached witness describe a murder.

"we had sex...?"

Jous smile is heartbroken, he looks at kaiba and sees none of Li there.

"you said to me..' make me yours, only yours' and I did."

The room becomes still heavy and silent as the grave.

I decided to take you out the next day, you where so happy about the whole damn world. I would do anything to see that smile. We came home had dinner with mokie, watched movies and then...there was this weird sound."

Jous expression becomes more stern and upset.

"I told you and mokie to hide in the room, and I went to go see what was going on. that guy I don't know how he got in but he fucked me up pretty good. He kept calling you his dove and trying to take you away when I tried to stop him he just kicked me, I hit my head. You hid in the closet I guess cause he couldn't find you, couldn't get you to come out. So he broke my hand-"

with that Jounouchi raises his still stiff hand and continues.

" you came out, and you screamed at him to stop. It was weird cause he looked at you like he missed you. He tried to carry you out the door but I grabbed his leg, kicked me. He got you up over his shoulder but I hit him, cracked him over the head with a jar of your bath salt, that got 'im. You bolted when he hot the ground cause he wasn't out yet, so I got him again in the head with another jar uh salt. He was out then. The cops came and got him after that you stayed with me when the doc got there, but when I woke up...I said the wrong name. I didn't say Li, like I should have I said kaibs. I said 'you okay kaibs'. You looks so upset."

kaiba watches Jounouchi talk, he feels a bizarre pang in his chest. In his mind an image flashes of Jou nursing his injured arm.

" when I woke up mokie brought in an old photo album and I told you everything, you where so mad. I didn't know what to tell you, I didn't wanna tell you anything but I did. That night I decided it was best if I slept in a different room , I guess you went for a walk in the house and you saw that statue, of your dragon. I heard you scream and I ran for you but you where passed out on the ground... you didn't wake up for so long... so I called here. And here we are- that's it."

kaiba just stares at Jou, something in his stomach turns unpleasantly. In the deepest part of him he wants to thank Jou for taking care of him and his brother, the surface portion gets through first.

"get out."

Ayukis eyes go wide in shock, she watches Jou sigh heavily and leave shutting the door lightly

behind him. Kaiba glares at the floor unsure of his actions, he raises his chin and casts his iron glare at Ayuki.

"what happened to my scars."

She gives her own glare, unfolds her body into a standing position and leaves the room,he glares at the door as it slides shut. Unsure of what to do he simply sits there trying to clear his frenzied mind, it doesn't seem to stop. Random images flick through his head along with more familiar scenes and unpleasant thoughts. After he manages to calm the raging storm that roils in his mind, he stands and leaves the room. He finds his way to the front door where he locates his driver leaning sleepily against the wall.

"wake up!"

The man jolts awake surprised at the familiar voice, he quickly rights himself and holds the front door open for kaiba. His driver steps out after him walking briskly to make sure he can hold the door out for kaiba. Just as the door is held open for him Ayukis voice carries out the door after him.

"it is a special bath I have each bride take before they meet their husbands, to cleanse the body and ease the mind. To ensure a a new life when they leave this place."

The door shuts heavily behind him.

He sits down in the back seat of the SUV, he doesn't like the vehicle already. He refuses to note the fact that Jounouchi isn't inside, when he said get out, he meant from the room. It would appear that Jounouchi left the premises all together. After a few minutes of driving and not spotting Jou, kaiba begins to wonder how long he was sitting in that room thinking.

Almost an hour later he spots Jounouchi in the distance, surprisingly quick paced.

"pick him up"

The driver follows Jou until he pulls up directly beside him. Kaibas dark tinted window slides down soundlessly, JOU just continues walking as if doesn't notice the obnoxiously large vehicle beside him.

"Jounouchi get in."

He pauses but makes no motion to enter the vehicle, turning his gaze slightly to look at seto he merely stares at him, silently asking why. Kaiba fidgets in his seat before filling the quiet.

"the driver says its more than ten hours driving, I can only imagine how long a walk that is, so get in."

Jounouchi sighs and climbs, wishing it where the limo, he could sit across the cabin in that.

" I'm sorry."

kaiba blinks bewildered at Jou.

"what for?"

Jous head hangs low, he doesn't look at kaiba, just stares out the window as he speaks.

" I don't know, but I'm still sorry."

Kaiba fidgets uncomfortably, the drive is long awkward and increasingly depressing. He has Jounouchi dropped off at his fathers apartment, not giving any thought to the fact that Jounouchi had been living in the kaiba estate for some time now.

When kaiba arrives home he find himself bumrushed, mokuba crying and gripping him around his middle talking between hiccuping sobs.

"you o-okay!i w-assss soo scrrrdd!"

The next morning kaiba finds himself sitting in the desk of his home office staring at his copy of the marriage certificate. That is most certainly his handwriting and clearly Jounouchis own chicken scratch. Beside this document is another, the form to file an annulment, he stares it like it where written in some alien language.

In his mind he muses that it would be stupid to fill it out by himself, it after all has two dotted lines, one for both unsatisfied bride and unsatisfied groom. He takes both papers and slips them into his brief case before leaving the room. Mokuba peeks at him from around the corner with puffy red rimmed eyes.

"nii chan... it isn't fair..."

He turns to his brother

"It is fair that I should be married to someone I have no attraction to?"

Mokuba looks at him disappointed, for some reason this look always seems to get the better of kaiba.

Sighing mokuba runs off to his brothers room, kaiba shakes his head and heads down the stairs. Just as he reaches for the front door mokuba runs back to him, he doesn't say anything just hold out a silver digital frame. Dejectedly kaiba reaches out and slips it into his brief case behind the two documents and leaves.

In the back of the limo he seats himself in the center of the seat, for some reason he finds himself staring at the center of the limo floor. He feels his heart beat begin to increase and his face begins to warm, suddenly he swears he can feel a warm caress down his stomach. He shakes his head and glares at the floor, then the memory hits him like a brick wall.

Hes laying on the floor on the limo with Jounouchi pushing his shirt up over his chest exposing his small pert nipples, he suckles needfully on one while pinching and rolling the other between two fingers.

He can hear himself panting and mewling, hands all over him then peeling the thin layer of tight black cloth off his legs. Jous voice is low and husky

'good god you're so gorgeous'

'oh-'

Jou slips into him while kissing touching and stroking him. The sound of his own voice while his being pleasured makes kaibas face flush with embarrassment.

'ohOH OH OH!'

He can feel his arms wrapping around Jous shoulders gripping him tightly throughout the session. In the afterglow he feels Jounouchi pressing kisses up and down his neck while he coos to him.

'you're so beautiful, so wonderful'

he can hear himself giggle

He looks out the window in an attempt to clear his mind of these memories that for some reason he doesn't consider dirty. His suitcase tips to the side as the driver makes a turn, it lands softly against his leg. He reaches for it and plucks out the silver frame, letting his fingers skim across the side pushing the cleverly hidden power button.

He flicks through images of people most certainly doesn't care about yugi honda anzu... pictures of himself with yugi, he has his sleeve raised over his mouth to muffle the sound of his laugh. He flicks the picture to the side and sees a picture of himself with Jounouchi pulling the top off a box. The flicks through many pictures of himself and jounouchi opening gift , a few of them playing some game or another. The very last image is one that makes his face flush red. Jou is smiling holding a plastic wine flute while seto presses a soft kiss to his cheek.

It is right then that his limo pulls up to the apartment he dropped Jou off last night, he exits the vehicle and strolls straight for the apartment office. The office is small cramped mildly cluttered and smells strongly of cigarettes. The white walls are water damaged and yellowing in various spots, the counter jutting out from the wall in front is empty aside from a chrome bell and a dirty fish tank with no visible occupant.

Kaiba taps the bell with a single finger, which he then wipes on a kerchief tucked in his coat pocket. Some where past the open door behind the counter some one shuffles and grunts. A short round gray haired old lady in a rumpled blue cardigan shuffles unhappily out of the back room.

"keen ah heelp yoo?"

Kaiba arcs an eyebrow at her seeming speech impediment, he attempts to ignore the smell of something stale as he asks.

"what apartment do the Jounouchis reside in, I've something to return."

she snorts at him,her short too curly hair bouncing as she does.

"dem dont live heer no more, tha boy left an his pa aint no good without eem. Evicted las week"

Kaiba stares at her blankly

"what?"

"yeh dat boy was predy surprised too, show up last nigh' to fine hees key don work."

"crap."

kaiba moves briskly back to the limo to the next place on his list, straight to the game shop. It is exactly as he remembers, crammed to the brim with various bits and bobs from around the world. As he steps in he spots yugi at the front counter organizing a new booster pack display, the small boy speaks without looking up.

"welcome to the mutou game shop! Are you looking for anything special?"

"yes"

His head snaps up, when he spots kaiba his eyes go round as saucers- then flood with tears.

"OMIGAWD YOURE OKAY!"

He bolts from around the counter and hugs kaiba tightly and quickly before getting himself quickly out of arms reach.

"yes I'm fine, is Jounouchi here?"

Yugi looks at him confused, but still smiling.

"kaiba, you two are married shouldn't you know where he is?"

kaiba shifts his weight from one leg to the other, feeling awkward and slightly guilty.

" I was unaware of that until last night, so I dropped him off at his apartment last night. I went to go talk to him this morning and when I asked which apartment he was in- they told me his father had been evicted some time ago."

yugi runs his hand through his hair and sighs heavily

"that sounds about right, but he isn't here... he might be with honda. I'll go call."

with that yugi returns to his place behind the counter and picks up the bulky light blue phone, dialing the chunky square buttons.

"hi ma'am is honda home? Oh can I speak to him please? Thank you ma'am"

kaiba begins pacing back and forth from one end of the counter to the other while yugi wedges the phone between his ear and shoulder as he continues organizing his display.

"hey honda! Oh yea... no I didn't know- why would I know that? I don't even talk to her any way have you seen Jou- kaiba lost him."

Kaiba feels his face flush at the accusation.

"thats what I thought. Keep an eye out for him okay- um yea kaibas kaiba again. DONT SAY THAT! That's mean! I think they looked cute together. Anyway he wouldn't have gone to anzu's would he? I thought as much. Okay then."

yugi sets the phone back on the receiver, sighing heavily as he does so.

"no such luck, he's probably just upset he'll appear when he's good and ready."

kaiba looks at him bewildered, his expression of confusion quickly becomes one of outright anger.

"are you serious!? THATS IT!?"

yugi glances up at kaiba quirking an eyebrow as he does so.

"he only has so many options, and he does this from time to time. He always appears whenever hes ready to come back."

kaiba glares daggers, yugi looks up again at kaiba, squeaking in surprise and fear.

"all your prattling on about friendship and you CANT FIND HIM WHEN HE UP AND DISAPPEARS!? Do you EVEN CARE THAT HE JUST FUCKING VANISHED!?"

with that he snarls and storms out of the small shop,yugi catches the door before its slams shut and shouts.

"try mai's place!"

kaiba pauses for only a moment before slamming the limo door shut. He reopens his brief case and flips open the fold his relevant documents are tucked in, he opens it and pushes the top two over, and stares curiously at the third as if he expects it to pass judgment on him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On the other side of town Jounouchi lays on the full size bed wondering exactly what to do about the situation, he has no intention to hide forever. Is it selfish of him to want to relax and try to calm himself for just a day? He muses to himself that kaiba probably already has the divorce papers in order, just waiting for him to sign it.

This is after all kaiba not Li.

But aren't they the same person?

In His mind his own words ring out

' you are you, all the things that make Seto who he was, you cannot recall'

He thinks to himself

'So technically that was kaiba, undamaged. Now that kaiba is himself again, he is damaged? And now that he is damaged I don't want him?'

he groans audibly and rolls onto his stomach burying his face in the pillow, letting his thoughts wander where they will.

OooooooooooooOOOOOO

kaiba grumbles as his phone rings over and over FINALLY she answers.

"hello?"

"mai kujaku?"

"the one and only"

"there are 32 other women with that name, have you seen Jounouchi?"

"what? Really? no- kaiba?!"

"yes"

"he dumped you already?"

The line goes dead.

Kaiba seethes inwardly, he rolls up the privacy screen and flops over on the bench seat. He buries his face in his hands and screams

"WHERE IS HEEEE!?"

he does a tracking search using the chip in his duel disk, which says its at the kaiba estate, he grumbles staring at the small red dot. Rolling his eyes he flips out his phone and calls home.

"nii chan?"

"mokuba- do you have jounouchis phone number?"

"why whats up?"

"I cant find him"

"I'll message it to you"

only a minute later a white envelope icon appears on the screen of his phone. He quickly calls the number, only for it to go straight to voice mail. It beeps and for some reason he doesn't hang up.

Beep.

"Jou where are you?"

He flips open his laptop and searches for every relevant phone number he can think of.

Otogi:useless

marik:mockingly useless

ishizu:equally useless

shizuka:now terrified and useless

ryou

"hello?"

"Ryou bakura?"

"yes, who is this?"

"kaiba-"

"crap"

The line goes dead.

Kaiba exhales his relief, the pops his laptop back open and backtracks an address from Ryous phone number. Wonderful. Aaaalllll the way across town, how the hell does he get to class on time every day?

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jou rolls onto his side staring into the distance only to find his phone blinking on the bedside table.

He flips the bulky outdated phone open and finds a blue envelope blinking on the screen. He taps play and sets it to his ear.

"Jou where are you"

He finds himself surprised by the voice, not by who it is, he expected that much. He did not however expect the sound of slight worry that came though those few little words. He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, for some reason he feels his heart pounding in his chest.

*69

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOO

kaiba almost jumps when his phone buzzes in his pocket, seeing the number however launches his heart into his throat. He answers unusually quickly not eeking out his pores.

"Jou?"

"hey, you uh called."

"yes, where are you? I went to your apartment-"

"yea... I should have expected that"

"what?- where are you?"

"eh? I'm at bakuras place"

"I'll be there in a moment, we need to talk."

kaiba hangs up before Jou can respond, before he can say he doesn't wanna see him.

Ryou peeks into the guest room and finds Jou staring at the ceiling.

"um... are you okay?"

"he said, he's on his way over. Wants to talk."

Ryou can hear Jou swallow the lump in his throat, watches him place his arm over his face and hides. Ryou silently shuts the door and stands in the hallway confused.

OooooooooOOOOOOOOOO

kaiba steps out of the limo and stares up at the tall apartment complex that appears to be made of glass. He walks briskly past the doorman through the lobby and into the elevator, he stands nervously in the elevator ignoring his reflection in the mirrored walls.

The hallway is too damn long, he walks a bit more slowly now glancing at the door numbers in shiny brass lettering. He pauses in place staring the number 748 exactly the same font as the other doors, but different. He raises one hands loosely curled into a fist, raps on the door and tries not to looks nervous.

Some one shuffles from behind the door, the sound of slide locks and deadbolt precede the door slowly swinging open. Ryou looks at him sadly.

"hello kaiba"

He steps out of the way hands still on the door handle, shutting it after kaiba steps in.

"where is he?"

Ryou walks through the entry way past the living room turns left to a short hall way with three doors, he walks up to the first door on the left, tapping lightly with his knuckles. He peeks in and says in almost a whisper.

"He's here."

kaiba walks into the room to find Jounouchi laying belly down on a small bed, its warm blankets rumpled beneath him. He rolls over onto his side and looks at kaiba half curious half bored.

"So, whats up?"

kaiba shuts the door lightly behind him, he pulls up a small wooden chair out from in front of the antique looking writing desk opposite Jou's bed. Jounouchi watches kaiba sit down only a few feet away from him, the small room making Kaiba look more imposing. He crosses one knee over the other and folds his hands in his lap.

"Jounouchi, you could have called me, I didn't know about your apartment..."

Jounouchi sighs, flopping onto his back and twining his fingers together behind his head.

"I know you didn't know, but I also didn't think you'd wanna look at me."

"..."

"You where real freaked out, I mean I get it I really do... so I just didn't wanna bug you."

"why did you call ryou?"

" I knew he wouldn't pester me for details, and its quiet here."

"you didn't want to see me either did you."

"..."

" I remember bits and pieces of it..."

"why are you here?"

kaiba lifts his briefcase up from the floor, sets it on his lap thumbs the locks and flicks it open. He pulls out a manilla folder, and holds it out to Jounouchi. He looks at kaiba dejectedly, he heaves a heavy burdened sigh be fore reaching out and taking the folder.

" I came because, I remember bits and pieces of our time together, also when I could not find you... I panicked."

Jounouchi looks curiously at kaiba, still holding the closed folder.

" …"

" I … found myself quite worried about your whereabouts... I can understand that you are very much upset about my reaction. However … I have to thank you for going completely out of your way to care for my brother and myself. You have done more for me than most anyone, it is strange that it should be you that could do this. But there again I don't think it could very well be anyone else."

"just spit it out already"

" I looked at out certificate and realized it is already void. I signed with a name that is not mine"

" ah I see."

Jounouchi rolls over to face the wall, running his thumb across the edge of the thin folder.

" However I find myself unhappy with that fact."

He can hear Jous breath hitch.

" I understand you … fell in love with the person I had been at that time and although I am no longer that person I...-"

Jounouchi turns and sits upright to look at kaiba with wide hopeful eyes.

" I want to... try."

Jou scoots to the edge of the bed and leans forwards just slightly, hands tightly gripping the thin folder- leaving long bends in its surface.

" to try what..."

Kaiba reaches forward taking the folder from Jous hands, he flips it open and hands a single sheet of paper to him. Brown eyes scan the paper before he snatches it quickly from kaiba looking it over reading its few word carefully.

"This is a blank marriage certificate."

Kaiba look intensely at Jounouchi before taking a deep breath and resuming his speech.

" you took care of my brother, of me... you didn't have to. I find myself unable to deny that... you are a person of extremely rare quality and while I am sure I do not deserve you- I feel as though you deserve to have what ever it is that you want. I only hope that what you want … is me."

Jou stares in shock at kaiba, shocked with his humility as if he truly believes that he is undeserving. Kaiba watches the other stare in bewilderment.

" I am not the one that was, but I promise I would everything in my power to care for you the way you deserve to be cared for. I only ask that you let me … try."

He watches the paper slip from Jounouchis hands just before he feels cool lips pressed on top of his, a heavy weight settles onto his lap and strong arms slink over his shoulders. Without hesitation he finds himself kissing back, quickly wrapping his arms around Jounouchi. He slips his tongue into Jous mouth exploring him, tasting every bit of him, gliding his tongue up the underside of Jous own- earning himself a pleased moan. They pull apart, Jou resting his forehead in the crook of kaibas neck he takes a shuddering breath before sitting himself upright in kaibas lap.

"yes."

Kaiba looks at him with his intense blue eyes. Butterflies running rampant in his stomach and his chest feeling unusually tight.

"You'll marry me Jounouchi..."

"yes"

0000000000000000000000000000 00000

How they left is and Bakuras apartment is a blur, the ride is filled with desperately passionate touches along with deep kisses. Eventually Jounouchi finds himself with his legs wrapped around kaibas waist while the other walks purposefully up the stairs, one hand gripping Jous ass the other spread open on the small of his back never stopping their needy kiss.

kaiba kicks the door shut behind him and tosses Jous down onto the large bed, divesting himself of his coat and peeling his shirt off of his toned body before climbing on top of Jou. He drags his lips over Jous neck, leaving bright angry red marks every few inches. Jounouchi tangles his hands in kaiba thick brown hair, moaning freely at the sensations searing through his flesh.

000000000000000000000000

mokuba sighs heavily unhappy with the situation as he trudges in the wide front door of his unpleasantly empty home. He thought all day of Jounouchi and how heartbroken he must be, how unfair his brother is... he thinks to himself of a way that keeping Jounouchi would be logical. He finds a few arguments that pose a few good points and he puffs up his chest with all the courage he can muster. Mokuba marches up the stairs heart thumping in his ears, he takes a deep breath ready to yell at his brother. He tears the heavy door wide open and his voice catches in his throat, he face flushes bright red. He quickly shuts the door and sprints down the hall to his room half thrilled but mostly mortified.

000000000000000000000000

"OH god oh shit setoo setoooo setOH! OH OH OH!"

kaiba snarls as his hips piston forward, pummeling Jounouchis prostate. His large hands gripping Jous thighs and pressing his knees down to the mattress while sweat drips down his face, warm droplets falling onto Jous belly and twitching member.

Jounouchis hands are tangled in the over his head twisting them in his fists while he screams and moans out in unrivaled pleasure. The sound and sight Jounouchis so uninhibited all serve to stoke the fire burning in kaiba, he moves one hand from the sandy colored flesh of Jous very grippable thighs to pumps his weeping sex. Kaiba grins like a madman as he watches Jounouchis toes curl, his head slams against the bed while his back arches upward.

"SETO SETOOOH OHOH OH OHHHHHH!"

He climaxes screaming his lovers name, his tight velvety tunnel gripping at kaibas cock milking him for all hes worth. Seto he bites his bottom lip while he watches Jous vision clear, his sultry gaze falling right into his own intense stare. Jounouchi cant help it but be absolutely mesmerized by the image of seto with usually distant eye darkened, heated and swimming with lust. His thrust become wild and jerky, then suddenly seto slams his cock as deep as possible and throws his head back roaring with the intense pleasure of his release.

His hot seed splurts into Jou quickly filling him and spilling the remains from his entrance, the sensation sending small spikes of pleasure tingling through Jounouchi. Kaiba falls exhausted onto Jous chest. Jous smiles lazily as he drags his fingers through sweat slicked brown hair, the lazy grin grows into soft laughter.

"mmmm?"

Is all the question kaiba can muster at the moment, he shifts in place turning to look at Jous face, enjoying the sound of his slowing heartbeat.

" whas... so funny..."

Jou bites his bottom lip and looks at kaiba still slightly euphoric.

"was just thinking... you're good at everything..."

Kaiba lets off an unsteady chuckle before succumbing to the lullaby that is Jous heartbeat.

0000000000

In the years that followed kaiba proved that despite their rather sad beginning he could give Jounouchi the happily ever after he so deserved.

-OWARI


End file.
